Unexpected Turn
by blue-hearts
Summary: Draco wants to change. He has found the one person who can help him change. Will Hermione help the mudblood hater? Contains ideas of abuse[NOTE: Will not continue due to discovery of Harry and Draco pairing]
1. Default Chapter

Unexpected Turn  
  
Description: Draco wants to change. He has found the one person who can help him change. Will Hermione help the mudblood hater? (Contains abuse)  
  
Disclaimers: Some of the Characters belong to J.K. Rowling. Some other ones belong to whoever wrote stories of Greek Myths.  
  
She closed her bedroom door and slowly made her way over to the lamp, the only source of light left in her room. She turned off the light and crawled into bed. She turned onto her right side. If she were to open her eyes she would face a blank wall. She laid there for a while waiting for the darkness to finally embrace her and let her sleep. The opportunity never came for a hand reached out of the darkness and covered her mouth. Her eyes flew open in a flash and by instinct she turned as far to her left as she could manage. Her eyes, which were shut only a few seconds earlier, had adjusted to the darkness of her room and she saw who the hand belonged to. Draco lowered his head to hers and stopped right beside her ear and he whispered, "I have chosen for you to be my queen." 


	2. Part 2

What did he just say to her? She thought she must be going crazy. Mudblood, she's a mudblood. He would never.  
He had let go of her mouth, expecting her to scream but she didn't. She just lay there with her mouth slightly parted and eyes wide with shock although her eyes had seemed to not be in as much shock as it was a second ago.  
She looked at him. He had obviously made a mistake. She slowly pushed herself up so she was sitting on her bed instead of lying there and said, "I think Pansy lives somewhere else Malfoy."  
He smiled at her, which gave her the chills yet still have her the feeling that everything was going to be okay.  
He took a seat on the side of her bed and she moved further away from him. Her wand was not anywhere near her at the moment. What could she do to protect herself?  
"I'm not looking for her." he said and for some reason he was still smiling.  
"I still think you've got the wrong house Malfoy. I'm Hermione." She said and she was afraid that he really had made a mistake and that he would realize where he was and would hurt her.  
He didn't move. He was still smiling at her. "I know your Hermione."  
"Then I must have heard you wrong."  
"No, I think you heard me fine."  
Hermione looked around her room. Perhaps this was all a joke and a bunch of Slytherin would jump out at any moment now and laugh at her. She could only hope.  
"There's no one else in here if that's what your wondering." Said Draco, noticing Hermione looking around the room. Then he realized just how wrong that came out. "Hermione, I'm not going to hurt you." 


	3. Part 3

Hermione gave him a 'whatever' look and said, "Now I know this is a joke."  
"Hermione, its not. Please believe me?" he reached for her hand but she moved away from him.  
"Look Malfoy, I don't know what kind of twisted joke of yours is. Just leave me, okay?"  
Draco looked at her again as if he had more to say but by the expression on Hermione's face, he didn't want to upset her even more than he already had.  
Draco got off her bed and at once she started to relax a bit and shut her eyes. He turned to go but then turned towards Hermione again, "I'm not going to give up that easily."  
She opened her eyes to say something to him but when she did, he was gone. *Knock**Knock* "Hermione, are you alright?" asked Hermione's mother yawning.  
"Yes Mom. I'm fine. Good Night."  
"Alright dear, Good Night."  
Hermione lay on her back and stared at the ceiling. This is impossible. She shook her head, closed her eyes and fell asleep.  
  
The next morning she woke up with the sun shining brightly into her room. She turned her head towards the clock next to her bed. 11 o'clock, she slept in. This was going to mess up her whole training schedule.  
She quickly got dressed and hurried downstairs for some quick breakfast. Her apparation test was coming up soon. She had to practice.  
She hurried out to her basement and started to practice. She had a small light on in the corner of her basement.  
After a while of practicing she was back on schedule. She sat down for a while to rest. She had apparated all around the room. She took a seat on the couch she had just apparated onto and lay there for a while. It was the first moment she got to think about what had happened last night in her room. Why had she slept in again? She knew she had been training hard for the past few days now but it couldn't have made her sleep in. Then she remembered. Someone visited. Who was it again?  
Malfoy! She jerked herself up. What was he doing? He was here to talk to you. Why? Because your going crazy if you think he has feelings either than hatred for you.  
She shook her head again. She was being silly. She had probably fallen asleep and had a weird dream and woke up to some noise.  
After a while more of practicing for her apparation test she went back upstairs, got herself some lunch and made her way to her room again.  
Once she got to her room she sat down at her desk. She took out the letters she had gotten over the summer. She wrote her replies to Harry and Ron and sent the replies back with Hedwig and Pigwidgeon. It was the beginning of July. Their holidays had just started and Harry's Birthday was coming up quickly.  
She made her way downstairs and found her mother had just got home from work.  
"Your fathers just parking the car. Do you know how many people don't care about their teeth? It's just so disgusting. Not many people floss anymore." Said her mother shaking her head.  
Hermione smiled and said, "Mom, this Saturday, do you have work?"  
"Oh yes dear. I do. I have a meeting to go to with your father for all dentists."  
"Oh, then how about the Saturday after that?"  
"We're free. Why?"  
"I need to get Harry a Birthday present. It's coming up soon."  
"Alright, we'll make our way to London on Saturday."  
"Thanks mum."  
And Hermione ran back upstairs to her room. What could she possibly get Harry? He was turning seventeen in a few weeks. Seventeen is a very important age and she wanted to get him something special. He was going to be of age soon.  
Hermione started on some of her holiday homework from the teachers. She knew it was still early but it's always good to have homework done and out of the way beforehand so she wouldn't have to worry about it later on. By the time she had finished her potions essay she went downstairs for dinner.  
When she was done she went back upstairs and got ready for bed. Usually by this time of year she would be out with her friends she had before she went to Hogwarts. Usually she would be out with her friends from her elementary school. She had told them that her parents told her to go to a different boarding school because they wanted her to do well in school with no interruptions. They believed her because she had always been really worried about her marks. But not any more, her friends weren't her friends anymore. They had changed.  
She didn't know what happened. Her first week back was the worst week she ever had. She called her friends but they either suddenly had something really important to do or they just had to go without any explanation at all. 


	4. Part 4

She laid in bed for a long time, just thinking of what was going on. If she was going to spend her entire holiday just sitting around would be a really waste of time. She was already almost done all of her homework over the holiday and the summer had hardly began.  
  
She was so angry at what was going on. Maybe she should just go to the Burrow and spend the rest of her holiday with the Weasley's. At least there would be something to do with them. She could help Ron and Ginny with their holiday work. But then she didn't want to be a pest. She always spent her holiday with them, she didn't want to anymore. And plus, with Voldemort still on the loose, she didn't feel too safe just anywhere unless there were more people from the Order that was going to be there.  
  
She didn't want to bother Harry either. Harry would be staying at Pivet Drive for a month then he would join the Order for some training for his battle against Voldemort. He hadn't told Ron and me until late last year that it was either Harry or Voldemort that was going to die and in the end, it was going to be a battle to the death.  
  
After a while of just thinking on her bed she decided to get a head start on her sleep. Apparation took a lot of energy, even for a genius like herself.  
  
She went to turn her lamp off again.  
  
But something happened.  
  
Right when she clicked off the knob on her lamp the hand came again. This time covering her mouth and it took her hand that had just turned off the light.  
  
This time he put his face right up beside Hermione's and his body right against her back.  
  
"Shuuuuu.." He whispered in her ear, "It's going to be okay. Don't be scared, I promised I wont hurt you and I wont."  
  
He slowly let go of her mouth and stepped back. He once again was ready for her to scream but she didn't. Instead she reached for the lamp again and she turned the lamp back on.  
  
It was real. She saw Draco standing in her room looking at her again.  
  
"What are you going here?"  
  
He didn't reply. He was looking at her like she was the most beautiful thing he had ever laid his eyes on. He took a step forward and she tried to take a step back but her back hit the drawer the lamp was on. His eyes never left her. He was looking into her eyes even if she wasn't looking into his. She was looking around her room and for a way to get out of there. All she could think of was that he was going to kill her. He had hated her so much that he wanted her dead and he was going to kill her in her own room.  
  
He whispered, "I'm not going to hurt you. I promise." He took another step forward.  
  
Her eyes widened. Oh my God, he's going to kill me right here and there's nothing I can do about it.  
  
She was feeling around behind her. Hoping for a way out. Hoping with all her heart that a door would suddenly appear behind her and she would be able to get away from him. But it didn't happen. She was at home, for her things like that only happen at Hogwarts.  
  
"Draco, please leave me alone." She started to cry.  
  
Draco's eyes widened. What was he doing? He was making her cry. That was the last thing he wanted to do. He didn't want to hurt her. She was afraid of him.  
  
"Don't be scared. Please? Hermione, please don't be afraid of me. I really don't want to hurt you." He reached for her shoulder but she moved away from him.  
  
"Then what the hell was the past six years? Can you deny all those things you've said to me the past six years?"  
  
"No, no I can't Hermione, and I'm sorry. I really am. But you have to believe me when I say that I don't want to hurt you."  
  
"Why? Why in the world should I believe you? You hate me, you hate my friends."  
  
"Things are different now." He turned away from her. He remembered it like it was yesterday.  
  
"Hermione, do you remember when the death eaters escaped?" "Yes but-"  
  
"Then you must remember how my father is a death eater himself." "Yes, but-"  
  
"When he came home, he wasn't himself anymore. He no longer loved my mother. He came back and he was different. He was different. I knew that even through all the evil things he had done, he still loved my mother. That's what kept me going all those years." She had stopped crying and was gently urging Draco to sit on her bed. She had to calm him down. He was scaring her. "I went home for the holidays remember? Remember when I went home for Christmas?"  
  
He looked at her like he was desperate for her to understand.  
  
"Yes, I remember."  
  
"Well, I went home and I saw him. I ran to hug him but he pushed me away. I didn't understand. Even though he was with Voldemort he still loved me. He never did that before. He would never let others know that he was capable of love but he was. He loved my mother and me when everyone's back was turned. We were actually a very happy family believe it or not. I loved my father. He was my inspiration. He had power and he had my mother, someone who he loved and loved him back.  
  
"But things were different. After he pushed me away he went to his room where my mother was and I heard a noise and she screamed. So I ran upstairs to see if she was okay. But I did not dare enter the room when my father was still there.  
  
"After a few more screams he tore out of the room and left. I ran inside and found my mother. She was bleeding from head to toe. I'm not big but I had grown and I was able to lift her to her bed. She was unconscious when I found her. My mother is not really strong but she is not really weak either. She's not strong but she's tough on the inside. Nothing can break her spirit even if she doesn't look the part in public.  
  
"My father hadn't come back, at least not for the holiday. He was spending his Christmas with his death eaters. Not even with his own family. He never did that before. He loved us. He spent every holiday with us and he would always buy my mother and me presents to show how much he loved us but not this time. I guess failing to do what Voldemort told him to do made him angry. I slowly nursed my mother better. She recovered fast but there was too much damage already. She was really hurt. There were wounds everywhere but she stuck it out. She kept living. I guess deep down she still loved my father even after what he had done to her. He blamed her. He said it was her fault that they even got caught in the first place."  
  
Draco took a deep breath to try and calm himself down. Even thinking about it hurt him a great deal and now he was talking about it. It felt like he was confirming that this was real.  
  
"My mother got better after a while, she told me not to worry, she told me that my father was just very stressed, she told me he would get better. But it didn't happen. A few days after Christmas he came back and he was still as angry as he was before. He didn't do anything to my mother in front of me. He would just ignore her during the day but I heard him. I heard him yelling at her from down the hall in my room and I would hear her screaming and crying. My mother doesn't cry. No matter how bad things were she would never cry. When he was in a meeting I would sneak into see her and I would tell her to leave. I would tell her to go away for a while but she wouldn't. She just kept telling me that things were going to get better. She told me that everything was going to be just the way they were again after a while.  
  
"My mother was beautiful. Although her expression was not always a happy one, she was very pretty. When she would smile it was like the world is worth living for. Her smile, her touch would make the world a safe place. But I didn't see it anymore. She wasn't happy anymore. She never smiled anymore. I guess he blamed her because she is Bellatrix's sister and after he was gone, Voldemort made Bellatrix his right hand man. He no longer held the high position to Voldemort anymore.  
  
"When I went back to Hogwarts it was still the same. Our servants sent me letters telling me what was going on. They told me that once again, they would hear my mother scream. They would tell me that once again my mother was crying and that things only got worst.  
  
"Then, when I went back home a few weeks ago it was still going on. Although he was starting to get tired of hitting the same woman. He didn't do it as much but every time he did it was like he had hit her all day. She was starting to get weaker. It takes strength to heal over and over again. But my mother still said that things were going to get better. She no longer told me that he still loved him. She didn't say that she loved him Hermione. And I don't know why I didn't see it before, how could I have not seen it before, of course she would stop loving him. He was hitting her. He was hurting her. He wasn't the same man she fell in love with years ago. That was when I started to realize that I no longer looked up to the man that was hurting my mother.  
  
"He wouldn't let either of us out of the house. He didn't hit me though. He only hit my mother. Never me, he never ever laid a hand on me. I wish he had. I wish it had been me he was hitting and not my mother. Why did he do it? That couldn't possibly be the only reason why he was hitting her. But it was. I knew my mother wouldn't do anything to disobey my father. I knew that she would never find someone else because she is like that.  
  
"You know, there are people out there that are surrounded by evil but they are not evil themselves. You know there are people out there that are brought up to think a certain way but, but they never actually turn out that way."  
  
Hermione knew someone like that. Sirius Black, thinking of him brought back tears. He was gone behind the veil. He was strong, he was a hero. Sirius was surrounded by evil but he was different. He was not evil himself. He was a good man who wanted everything to be safe again. Yet he died, how could someone so good, someone with such a good heart die?  
  
Hermione smiled at him and nodded urging him to go on. 


	5. Part 5

"That's why I only come at night. I'm not allowed to come any other time. If he found out he would be so angry with me. But I have to. Hermione, after Christmas, after I saw what he was doing to my mother I knew I could not be like him. I hated him. I never wanted to see him again. I needed to get away from him. He was hurting her and I never want to be anything like him. I don't want to hurt the people I love. No matter what I do at school, no matter what evil things I have done to you and your friends in the past, I still had a heart; believe it or not, I still had someone I loved back at home. But my heart broke when I found out what my father was doing to her. My mother, she was surrounded by evil. She had an evil family, she married a man who turned out to be evil, but she's not evil Hermione."  
  
Hermione did something she never thought she would do. She took his hand in hers and held it. He was hurt and she felt sorry for him. And for some reason, she knew it wasn't a joke. She knew that he actually meant it.  
  
"Hermione, you know the story, the story of Persephone and Hades?"  
  
Hermione knew but she also knew that Draco needed to explain it himself. He needed to tell her what he had been feeling the past eight months. She gave his hand a light squeeze and shook her head.  
  
He looked at her and smiled as if he knew what she was doing.  
  
"Kore was a girl, a girl who was pure innocence. She was all good, no evil bone in her body. She was innocence herself but one day something happened. Kore just so happened to be the daughter of Zeus, Hades brother, and Demeter. Hades, the God of the underworld had come. He saw her and realized that she was everything he was not. He wanted her. He had to have her. She was beauty beyond his imagination and also because even though he was the God of the underworld, she had taken his hand. No one had ever taken his hand before. Everyone had always feared him. Everyone hated him because they were afraid that he was to bring death along with him but not her. She did not know. She was so innocent that she took his hand and for the second time in Hades life did he feel love. No one but his mother had touched him before."  
  
Draco took a glance at Hermione and continued.  
  
"When she got older he had a plan. He went to kidnap her and take her to his kingdom. When he had taken her with him she refused him, and so she made an agreement with him. And she lost. He had her. She was his forever."  
  
He now put his other hand on the both of her hands, which was lightly holding his own.  
  
"Hermione, I don't want to force you into anything. Not like what Hades had done to Kore. But the beginning, he was evil, pure evil and he fell in love, with innocence. And that's what I see you as. Hermione, you are my innocence and well, I was brought up to be evil right? So I must be evil."  
  
Hermione tried to protest this but he didn't let her.  
  
"Hermione, I want to change. I want a chance to make things better again. I want a chance to make things right. If I could, I would go back and change everything I have done. If I knew my father was like that I would never have looked up to him. What he has done to my mother is unspeakable."  
  
Draco looked away from Hermione again. She knew that this was hard for him to reminisce on. He was not the type of person to talk about his feelings. Well, maybe he had before but not to someone that he did not really know.  
  
"But this isn't right. This is, not what I expected at all. I mean you hate my friends, you hate me! Have you forgotten that I am a mudblood? Both my parents, in the other room, are muggles."  
  
Draco looked away from her. "Hermione, haven't you heard a word I've said? I want to change Hermione. I no longer look up to my father. He was the one who was against the mud-you know and I want to be different from him. And like Persephone was Hades, you are my light. You're the only one I can see helping me change."  
  
"If you want to change so bad, I think you can do it yourself. Malfoy, your strong, I know you are. You can if you really believe." She wasn't angry, for some reason, the fact that this was so strange didn't make her angry. Normally something so simple would have annoyed her a great deal but she felt a great patience overwhelm her.  
  
"Because I'm not strong enough."  
  
"Yes you are. You can be if you believe in it." Hermione was starting to sound like she was pleading rather than merely trying to convince him.  
  
"No. Hermione, I'm not. And I had hoped that you would understand that. Hermione, I need you. I need you to keep me believing." He stood up from the bed and took his hands away from her grasp.  
  
"You can. You can if you believe. Just believe, you have the will already. You will be nothing like your father. And one day, one day you'll find someone who will love you and maybe you'll love her just as much as your mother once loved your father."  
  
"No Hermione, Believing isn't enough, you need more than that. You need something, someone, to help. You need someone to believe with you, to believe for you. That's what I need Hermione. I need you to believe with me."  
  
"You don't need me. You need yourself." She was beginning to get the old feelings of once again being annoyed again. Why is he being so stubborn? You can if you believe in yourself. Why can't he understand that?  
  
Draco walked away from her. She didn't believe him. He couldn't blame her. He had been so nasty to her. If only she knew-. How in the world could he show her?  
  
He let out a breath of air he had taken in and ruffled his hair a bit. That was when Hermione noticed.  
  
"Your hair!" she exclaimed.  
  
He looked at her as if he wasn't sure she had just spoken to him. He had unconsciously stopped ruffling his hair and froze. He raised an eyebrow at her.  
  
"Yeah Hermione. I have hair just like you"  
  
"That's not what I meant. I meant that for once it's not slicked back. You don't look as much like your father as you used to."  
  
He had to blush at this. If it was a year ago he would have gotten mad if anyone had said this to him but things were different now. This was more than a compliment.  
  
"Yeah, well I didn't like all that work anyway."  
  
She couldn't help herself. By the dim lamp in her room that was radiating the light into her room his hair looked so soft. She slowly reached out to touch it. She had never ever seen hair look so soft before. Especially after it had been drenched in grease for so many years.  
  
"Uh, Hermione." He looked around the room with a bit of an uncomfortable expression on his face but he couldn't help but give a little smirk at what was going on. "What are you doing?"  
  
"It looks so soft. It feels so soft too."  
  
"Hermione, you're scaring me." He stepped away from her. This was certainly the weirdest behaviour he had ever seen especially when it came down to Hermione.  
  
Then she realized just how strange it really was. She blushed and took her hand back from his hair. She stepped back and looked on the ground. What in the world am I doing?  
  
"I'm sorry."  
  
He couldn't help but give a small laugh, "Its okay Hermione. I always knew you were a bit different from everyone else."  
  
She looked up at him, she was offended but when she looked up at him he was laughing at her. He didn't mean it. He was just joking. Then she realized that it really was pretty funny. That was a very weird thing for her to do and she gave a small laugh as well. Then she stopped immediately. What was she doing? She was having a good time, with a Malfoy; with Draco Malfoy. He was making her happy. A feeling she thought she could never have again after what happened with her friends the first week back.  
  
She blushed and looked away.  
  
He took a step toward her but she jerked her head up immediately.  
  
"Uh, I think you should leave. It's late and I'm tired." She hadn't looked up at him. She couldn't look at him. And before she could give him a chance to reply she said, "Good Night." And she turned away from him.  
  
Her back towards him. He was so confused. She had been so happy a moment ago. She was smiling but he couldn't do anything. He was not going to force her. He told her that. He was not going to force his company upon her if she didn't want him around.  
  
He turned to leave, but he couldn't help but turned around again to see her back turned towards him still. "Good Night Hermione."  
  
She turned around to apologize but he was gone. He had left before she could tell him that she was sorry and that she really wanted to explain herself. 


	6. Part 6

Three days had passed since he had last stopped by. Since thinking was all she could do for the next few days, she was trying to understand what was going on. Why did she feel like this? It was either an excellent spell he had cast on her or something else was happening to Hermione. She had never felt like this before. Maybe once, back in her third year when a bunch of dementors had surrounded Hogwarts but it was still different and some part of her knew what it was. Even when the dementors were at Hogwarts she still had something then. Now, not only does she feel like she would never be happy again, she also felt that there was something missing. Like there was a gaping hole in her heart where something belonged but she didn't know what it was. She felt empty.  
  
He was going to keep his word to her. As much as he didn't want to, he was going to stay away from her like he said he would.  
  
He knew why he had chosen her over anyone else. She was everything that he was not. Ever since that day a couple weeks ago at Hogwarts when he was leaving the Slytherin common room alone and he saw that frightened look on her face when Crabbe and Goyle was so angry at her that they looked as if they were going to hit her, he had fallen in love.  
  
He quickly went over to Crabbe and Goyle and told them that dinner was going to be soon and if they didn't hurry then they would get all the leftovers. Being the idiots they were, they stopped what they were doing and left with Draco. Although it took as much strength to look at her than to not, he had to hold himself. He didn't turn around to sneer at her or to smile at her. He was still trying to process the fact that he may be in love with a mudblood in his mind. And also just how beautiful she really was. How had he not been able to see it before? Of course, the answer was so simple. He had changed now. He hadn't gone soft. He had started to become a better person and the look of Hermione's face helped him. It gave him hope inside that he would one day be that person his father never was.  
  
He looked out the window and to his surprise; he saw something that he had never seen before in his entire life.  
  
She had made up her mind. She was going to write to him and tell him that she was sorry. That she hadn't meant for the way it came out. She wrote the letter to him and for some reason she took special care in the words she chose to use, the parchment she used, the ink she used, the envelope she used, and also the writing she used. She had never before taken so much care in her letters before, maybe in her fifth year when writing to Harry to tell him to not worry but not even then had she been so careful of what she was writing.  
  
When she was done she walked some distance to an owlery near by her place and sent off the letter to Draco Malfoy.  
  
He took the letter from the owl and it took off. He had never in his entire life gotten an owl besides from his father or mother during his school time at Hogwarts. And to his surprise and great delight, it was from the one person he was thinking about so much. He took such care in opening the envelope of the letter. He had never done so with any piece of writing before either. But then what if it was a letter telling him that she didn't ever want to see him again? What if the letter was telling him that she didn't believe him? But then it would be okay. Because she left him with something that he would be able to keep forever.  
  
He took out the parchment very carefully and read:  
  
Dear Draco Malfoy,  
  
I am very sorry about what happened three days ago. I mean, I'm not sorry about everything. I'm really glad that you were able to tell me what was bothering you. I meant to tell you that I'm sorry about the way I reacted at the end. I only hope that you can forgive me and we can perhaps be friends again.  
  
I am willing to help you if you help me back. I need help with my apparation and you seem to be very good at it yourself. You are able to apparate without making noise. If you would like to come back and hopefully forgive me for being so rude, I would gladly help you overcome your past.  
  
Love, Hermione Granger  
  
Draco held the letter lightly in his hands almost afraid that he might crush it. He had to reread it a few times to make sure what he was reading was true. After a half an hour had passed he finally put the letter away in a box with a clasp his mother had given him many years ago. She knew that he would one day grow up and have little letters just like she had when she was young. Although, Draco thought, she must not have expected the letters to be so sweet and from such a sweet person.  
  
Draco waited until everyone was sleeping in his house. His father was off to a meeting again with the other death eaters and so he knew that his mother was safe. And if anything, the servants would help her. The servants were not afraid of them as they are afraid of Lucius. The servants of the manor didn't used to be afraid of any of them. Although they were not exactly included in the family entirely, they were still given respect and they saw the love that the family had for one another. But part of it was broken now. Part of that love had gone because of what happened with Lucius. They saw this and they were afraid. If he was able to do that to his own wife, the one he so dearly loved, then what about the ones that are below him? He had assaulted a few of them a few times when he was unable to take out his rage on Narcissa. But it was nothing as to what Narcissa had gotten. There were many times where even the nurses thought she was going to die after Lucius had taken it out on her.  
  
They had seen the way Lucius had held his wife in his arms before. They had seen what care he had given her when she was giving birth or when she was sick. They had seen him truly love her. But now, it was as if nothing like that had ever happened. As if he didn't even know who she was. He didn't seem to remember that he even loved her once. People do this when they crave power. When they need power after they had been able to taste it, this is what happens. They forget to love. 


	7. Part 7

When Draco had arrived at the Grangers place Hermione was waiting for him. She had her lamp on again and she was at her desk reading a novel. As always, thought Draco. She looked up and smiled. Oh how beautiful that smile was, especially when it was glowing with such life with the lamp keeping part of her face in the dark.  
"So you forgive me then?" she asked with a slight quiver in her whisper.  
He smiled back, "Of course I forgive you. I never held it against you for a second."  
She seemed to have let out a breath of air and smiled at him again. Then she got up and grabbed her wand and walked closer to him. She grabbed his wrist and led him to the door. She opened the door just slightly and poked her head out. Good, her parents doors were closed therefore she could go to the basement. She turned around to him and motioned him to keep quiet.  
He walked out of her room and into the hall. Her house was a considerable amount smaller than his own but there was something about it. The thing was that her home actually felt like home. He hadn't been able to feel that emotion since he had gone home for the Christmas Holidays.  
She shut the door behind him concealing them in darkness. "Lumos" she whispered and immediately a light shone from the tip of her wand. She still held on to his wrist and they both crept down to the basement.  
They practiced for an hour or so and they sat down to rest for a while. To Hermione they had hardly started. But Hermione was very quick and picking up things. She was able to learn a lot within that hour. And Draco was a pretty good teacher if she had to say so herself.  
They sat on the couch that Hermione had laid down to think on Tuesday. She had gone to get Draco and herself some water.  
"Wow, your really quick and learning new things."  
"Well, you're a good teacher." She looked at how odd it was that he had almost read her mind then added, "And I've always been able to pick up facts really quick. You know that."  
He smiled at that. She had usually been quite modest, at least that what he thought when he was, the way he was before. He wouldn't say it. He was afraid to lose the feeling he had at that exact moment.  
They were silent for a while, just smiling at one another. And then she looked away and almost immediately deciding what she was going to do.  
She looked back up at Draco.  
"You know, your version of the story wasn't complete."  
He was so taken back at what she said, "Huh?" was all the noise that he could make with his vocal chords.  
She smiled at him. "I simply meant that your story of Hades and Persephone."  
He still didn't say anything. He didn't know what she was getting at. That was certainly how he had heard it.  
She knew he was still confused, "Don't you know what happened in the end?"  
He shook his head with his eyes wide open.  
"Well, she didn't really lose. She wanted to stay on her own. She wanted to live in the Underworld on her own. Do you know why?"  
He shook his head again. He didn't know that. He thought Hades had tricked her and she had to stay with him forever.  
"He gave her something she was never given before. He gave her freedom. Something she had never been able to have before and she loved it. It was not something she ever felt before. And she fell in love with him."  
He didn't looked like he was in shock anymore. He was confused. "Really?"  
Hermione nodded at him. "He was gentle with her. He showed her what love really was. He protected her, he kept Persephone safe and she trusted him. She didn't trust him before but he was patient with her. Then she saw that there was something wrong. He was nothing like what the other Gods had said about him. He was not evil nor was he cold hearted. He was gentle and even his servants loved him. You always know how a person is by seeing how they treat those less than him. And he treated them with as much respect as he gave anyone else."  
"I didn't know this part. I thought that he tricked her and took her into his kingdom and she was forced to stay."  
Hermione smiled, "Things are different when you are able to see both sides of the picture. When you are able to understand, things are different."  
Almost afraid to ask he quietly asked, "Hermione, why are you telling me this?"  
She looked away again. She was hoping to hold it out long enough but he caught on. She looked at him again and saw that he was looking at her intently, "Because not that I've been able to see both sides and understand, I feel something. I feel something I have never felt before." She stopped. She couldn't continue because everything was going so quickly.  
He smiled at her and took her hand. He understood that when time was right she would be able to say it too. But as he promised, he wasn't going to force her. "Its okay. You don't need to say anything. When time comes, you'll know."  
He got up and guided her back upstairs. It was getting late and if he stayed there with her any longer he didn't know what he was going to do. They put their cups of water in the kitchen and he took her back up to her room.  
Then they had closed her room door he gently moved her to her bed. "I'll be back tomorrow since you're so horrible at apparating."  
She couldn't help but smile. A moment ago he had said she was good. He's not good at making up excuses. "See you tomorrow then."  
And he was gone. 


	8. Part 8

The next few days went by so quickly. Hermione was always looking forward to the night when he would come and they would just spend hours together.  
When Friday came long Hermione had to ask, "Draco, I'm going to Diagon Alley tomorrow. Did you want to come with us? I need to get Harry a Birthday present."  
She had expected him to refuse or get upset but he didn't. Instead he smiled and nodded at her right before he left her that night. She had expected by now for him to have at least tried to force her to say something or to just take her right there and kiss her since they had been alone for so long but then he didn't. He came strictly to help her with her apparation test that was coming after her birthday in September. She had to admit she was getting really good with his help. She was able to apparate quietly now without too much concentration.  
  
The next day after Hermione's parents had let her go to Diagon Alley, they themselves made way to a park near by and told her to find them there after she was done.  
She went into a few stores to look for something Harry would like for his special seventeenth birthday. After a few stores she had a few ideas but none of them were as good as she wanted them to be.  
She was walking past yet another shop, this seemed to be hopeless. She knew that the one thing he wanted more than anything else in the world was his parent's back. To have a real family and how was she going to give him that?  
Just then he saw the blonde head walking casually towards her. She quickly made her way to the Leaky Cauldron. This hopefully gave him the idea to follow her. And he did. He followed her into the Leaky Cauldron and she took a private room and walked slow enough so that he saw her just in time as she slipped into the booth.  
They each ordered a Butterbeer as casually as possible. If word got to Lucius then Draco would be in a lot of trouble.  
"I can't seem to find anything for Harry. Nothing seems good enough." Complained Hermione.  
"Well, I think I've found it."  
"Oh Really?"  
"Yeah. And I have it with me."  
"You do?" she asked while raising one eyebrow.  
"Yeah. I thought that it could be from me too but don't tell him I had anything to do with it. He wouldn't agree to it. And I really don't think he would trust something from me anyway."  
She had to admit that he was right. "But you didn't have to go and get it. I could have."  
"But it's not something they normally sell. I could get it because I have connections through father." For a moment he looked ashamed that he even used anything that belonged to his father to tie a connection between Hermione and him.  
"It's okay Draco." and she reached across the table to hold his hand. "Thank You though."  
He smiled at her and he held her outstretched hand as well.  
"So Draco, are you going to tell me what it is yet?"  
His eyes widened. "Oh yeah!"  
He took a package from within his cloak pocket and set it on the table. "Here, I'll show you."  
Draco opened the package to show Hermione.  
Hermione gasped. "How did you get this?"  
Draco smiled at her. It was a piece of dragon scale. But from the one dragon who can give you only what your heart desires most.  
"He'll love it!" 


	9. Part 9

Days crept by. Hermione spent many of her nights in the company of Draco. After she had mastered the ability to apparate silently, Draco still visited to talk or to keep Hermione company. After Hermione sent Harry's gift off to him at Pivet Drive she started to relax a bit. Term was about to start in a month or so.  
  
That night Draco showed up as usual and they lay on her bed beside each other just talking and talking about everything.  
  
"You know after school next year I think you would really liked to fight against your father wouldn't you?"  
  
This certainly caught Draco's attention. Ever since he had told Hermione about what was happening at his house it had happened a number of times more. He begged his mother to let him tell someone but she said that it was going to be okay. That soon his father would realize what he is doing is wrong and he would never do it again. Draco doubted this. He wanted to keep his mother safe. But what could he do? Its not like he could take her somewhere or anything.  
  
He smiled at Hermione. She was keeping him going. She was helping him even if she didn't know it. She kept him living each day. He felt hope that one day, one day he would be able to save his mother from all this awful time and perhaps she could live in peace and maybe, maybe even learn to forget what happened and be happy with someone else.  
  
"That's all I can hope. To take revenge upon the man who hurt my mother so much. Not just physically either."  
  
Hermione stroked his arm. "I have an idea but I can't do it without Dumbledores help."  
  
Draco's eyes widened. "But the man despises me. He favours Harry and Harry hates me."  
  
"Draco, you really must give Dumbledore more credit than that. Dumbledore knows when you have good intentions or not."  
  
"Yeah, I can see that. My father always talks about how much Voldemort dislikes the man. He always talks about how one day they were going to get rid of him."  
  
Hermione smiled at him, "We know. Harry tells Ron and I things you know."  
  
She had forgotten that he hadn't been with the three of them before. Draco didn't know how much they actually knew about Voldemort and his plans.  
  
"You know what I noticed about you Draco?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"You call him Voldemort. Even your father calls him The Dark Lord."  
  
"That's because I've realized that Harry and Dumbledore are right. Those who call him The Dark Lord or he-who-must-not-be-named are only afraid of him. And I'm not afraid of him. I hate him."  
  
"Well, I'm glad you were able to figure that out."  
  
Hermione wrote the letter to Dumbledore the next day and brought it to the owlery just like she had done with Draco's letter. She knew that pretty soon, she was most likely going to join Harry and stay with the Order and every time she thought about that, it made her heart feel empty once again. Then she realized that she felt that way because Draco would not be able to join her and be with them. She had to convince Dumbledore that it was safe to have Draco with them. She needed him with her.  
  
A few days had passed and she finally got the letter she as looking for. Dumbledore sent a letter back to her telling her that he would be coming in tonight to her place to take a look at Draco for himself.  
  
She also received a few letters from Ron and Harry and a few from Ginny as well. She was happy that Harry really liked his present. She only hoped that he would use it well and that, Harry might even trust Draco enough for her to be able to tell him that Draco got him that gift.  
  
When that night came Draco showed up as usual and he was as he usually was. Lately he seemed to have become stronger. Hermione didn't mean his physical body of course, she meant his soul. She could see that he was starting to become hopeful. She saw it in his eyes, those beautiful silvery blue eyes of his that she just couldn't get enough of.  
  
"Draco" she whispered, "Dumbledore said he's going to be coming today to see you."  
  
Draco set down his wand on her desk and smiled at her. She couldn't help but notice how much more often he smiled lately. He wasn't sneering anymore. He didn't hold that arrogant posture anymore. He was different. He was gentle now.  
  
She leaned on the wall next to her bed with one leg propped up on the bed and was making casual conversation with Draco and extremely anxious for Dumbledore to arrive.  
  
They were in the middle of a joke that Draco had just told when Dumbledore arrived.  
  
Dumbledore smiled at the two of them sitting next to each other by the little light from the desk lamp.  
  
"Well Draco. It is very nice to see you again. I hope you are well."  
  
Draco didn't answer. He didn't know what to say. He wanted to tell Dumbledore what had happened and how sad he was but then he looked at Hermione and realized just how happy he had been the past few weeks with her. Just sitting in her room and talking to her like they were the only ones alive.  
  
Dumbledore waved his wand and a chair appeared. Dumbledore took a seat and let out a breath.  
  
"It is very exhausting for an old man like me to be running around like this. I am getting too old for this, definitely getting too old for this.  
  
"Well Hello Hermione. You look well rested."  
  
She gave Dumbledore a big smile.  
  
"Now, on to other business." He said looking now at Draco.  
  
"Why do you want to go against your father?"  
  
Draco looked at Dumbledore and he could feel tears trying to spill out but he was fighting it. He didn't cry when he was telling Hermione and he wasn't going to cry now.  
  
He glanced at Hermione and she smiled and nodded encouragingly at him.  
  
"He has changed now. He is not the man I once knew."  
  
When Draco had finished explaining to Dumbledore he looked relived. Dumbledore didn't speak. He just sat back on his chair and stroked his chin.  
  
"But Mr. Malfoy, you certainly are not doing this out of spite for your father are you? He gave birth to you. Although he has changed now, he still loved you those years you told me about."  
  
"I know, I'm not doing this because I hate my father. I'm doing this because I love my mother." 


	10. Part 10

Hermione wrote a lot of letters to Harry and Ron explaining everything to them. But they just sent howlers at her or letters that made her heart break.  
  
They didn't understand. They couldn't understand because Draco hadn't gone to them, Draco went to her and told her.  
  
"Well, they are just going to have to accept Draco anyway. Dumbledore trusted Draco and even at this moment Dumbledore was planning for a way to get Narcissa out of the Malfoy Manor."  
  
Hermione picked up her quill and took out yet another piece of parchment.  
  
Dear Harry,  
  
Please understand that even Professor Dumbledore himself gave Draco a thorough inspection and Draco passed. Please, if you do not trust Professor Dumbledores opinion then whose opinion will you trust?  
  
Love, Hermione  
  
She didn't bother sending it by owl. Draco was going to meet her at her house tonight with all his things and they were going to Grimmauld place together. Accompanied by Dumbledore himself. She put the letter in her trunk and she started checking through her things. Making sure that she brought everything she needed. She couldn't forget anything. Too bad they had to leave at night because Draco couldn't make it too suspicious to his father.  
  
When Draco had arrived she noticed that today he wasn't wearing his usual dark clothing; instead he was wearing a more navy blue colour set of cloaks and a white shirt underneath.  
  
Dumbledore had arrived before Draco and Hermione got a chance to greet each other.  
  
"Well, everything is in order. Hermione you are allowed to apparate just this once by special request from me with the Ministry of Magic."  
  
Hermione nodded and she took one of the handles on the side of her trunk.  
  
Hermione said her farewells to her parents earlier that day before they went to bed themselves. She couldn't let them see Draco in her room. Although she was going to be of age soon, her parents were still quite strict as too the type of boys she hung around.  
  
When they had arrived it was dark.  
  
"Now, you must be very quiet no matter what." Whispered Dumbledore.  
  
"Leave your trunks here I will get someone to bring them up for you."  
  
Then Dumbledore led them into the kitchen where everyone was currently hovered around.  
  
They all stopped and looked up as Dumbledore stepped in and their eyes were in shock when they laid their eyes on Draco.  
  
Of course Dumbledore had already informed the Order that Draco was going to be joining but she thought that they might not have really believed it until now.  
  
Ron, Fred, George, Ginny, and Harry's mouths fell open as they saw him.  
  
"Well, lets get this meeting started shall we?" said Mrs. Weasley to break the tension in the room.  
  
"Certainly Molly, we shall get started right away."  
  
Hermione and Draco sat quite a far distance from Harry and the others. They stayed close to Dumbledore though.  
  
"As you all see, we have a new member in the Order." He said as he noticed that no one was going to pay attention to him until he explained the company of Draco Malfoy among them.  
  
No one said anything. No one even made motion that he was welcome there. They just glanced at him and many of them quickly returned their gaze to Dumbledore.  
  
Hermione took Draco's hand under the table and held on to it. Draco glanced at her and he held on to her as well.  
  
"Something has happened in Draco's life and he wants to make amends with the Order and help us defeat Lord Voldemort. I place my trust in Draco Malfoy despite the fact that his father is one of Voldemort's closest death eaters. I have spoken with Mr. Malfoy personally and-"  
  
Draco raised his hand and Dumbledore stopped speaking and looked at Draco.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"I would very much appreciate it if I was addressed as Draco rather than Malfoy."  
  
Dumbledore nodded immediately  
  
"Certainly, certainly. I am quite sorry that I did not notice this before. Well I have spoken to Draco and he has certainly proven to me that he is no longer willing to have any ties with his father, Lucius Malfoy. However he has volunteered to help the Order by staying close to his father and watching what his father does to give us information about Voldemort's moves and plans. However, I do not wish for anyone to treat Draco in a way that is not how he or she would normally treat his or her friends. He is a guest and I am very happy to welcome him into out Order of the Phoenix."  
  
Draco turned a slight pink colour and let out a breath that he had obviously been holding for a while. He was afraid that perhaps Dumbledore would start talking about his personal life and he did not want others to know.  
  
Dumbledore dismissed Harry, Ron, Ginny, Fred, George, Hermione, and Draco. They slowly made their way upstairs and as if they all knew, they all headed for Harry and Ron's room.  
  
They all entered and they all took a seat. The room was not a fairly large one but they were able to sit far enough away yet not too far away.  
  
No one wanted to say anything. Hermione could feel the tension in the room.  
  
She got up to close the door for if any shouting were to begin she did not want the rest of the house to know about it with the shrieking of Mrs. Black.  
  
When she sat down it was actually Draco who decided to break the silence of the room.  
  
"So, when did all of you arrive?"  
  
"This morning." Replied Harry  
  
"Since the summer began." Replied Ginny for the rest of her brothers.  
  
Draco nodded. And they were all in silence again.  
  
Hermione had had enough of this awkward tension between everyone.  
  
"So, Harry, how was your past month with the Dursley's?"  
  
"Absolutely awful. They are the way they usually are but not as bad since that warning they were given about two years ago. But they are still nasty to me."  
  
"Glad you're here then?"  
  
"Definetly. That was the longest month I had to live through."  
  
"So, what do-"  
  
"Uh, Hermione?" interrupted Ron.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
Ron gulped and looked at Hermione's hand, which was still holding Draco's.  
  
"Are you-are you two-"  
  
And he couldn't continue his sentence.  
  
"No Ron. He's just a good friend and I'm here to support him." And she gave the two hands a light pat.  
  
"Oh" said Ron and looked away.  
  
"So" said Hermione as her eyes left Ron to look at everyone else. "As I was asking earlier, what do you think we'll be doing as we are here for the rest of the holiday?"  
  
"We're supposed to be keeping out of anyone's sight. That's all mum told us." said Fred.  
  
"Well, I'm supposed to be training with Moody and Lupin for the next month."  
  
"Oh yeah! Harry have you been practicing for your apparation test?"  
  
"That's going to be part of the training with Moody."  
  
"Oh, well Draco helped me all month. I can apparate silently just like Draco."  
  
"Really?" said Ginny, Fred, and George with wide eyes.  
  
Then Fred added, "I didn't know you could do that."  
  
"Me either but Draco taught me how. Its quite simple, it just takes a greater deal of concentration." 


	11. Part 11

Harry looked at Draco  
"I don't suppose-"  
"No, I'm sorry. I really don't want to talk about it." Replied Draco and he looked away.  
"Oh, I'm sorry."  
"Look, I'm sorry for all those things I've said and done to you and your friends over the years okay?"  
Harry looked quite taken back by this. He opened his mouth to speak but he was interrupted.  
"I really mean it Potter. I really am sorry for what I've done."  
"Okay Mal-Draco, its okay. I didn't believe Hermione before when she told me in the letters but after Dumbledore gave his consent, I guess if Dumbledore thinks you've changed, so can I."  
For a moment Hemrione saw that Harry and Draco really connected. They were no longer enemies.  
Draco got up and released Hermione's hand.  
"I should start going back. If my father realizes then everything would be ruined."  
Hermione nodded at him. This was very important. He had to pretend he was interested in becoming a death eater just like his father so he could get close enough to Voldemort to see what they were doing inside.  
Draco had already told Dumbledore that Crabbe and Goyle were ready to join the death eaters and he should join before they did or else it would look really suspicious.  
Draco took out his wand and he was gone without a warning.  
Ron turned back to make certain for himself that Draco had left before he spoke again.  
"I don't trust him."  
Both Harry and Hermione looked taken back.  
"Why not?" asked Harry  
"Its Malfoy we're talking about. Malfoy, the boy who has tormented us for six years." He turned to Hermione and shouted, "You are too trusting for your own good sometimes you know that?" before he looked back at the floor.  
"I agree." said George, "It does seem a bit strange to me that he suddenly decides to help us. And how does he know about the order anyway?"  
"That would be me. I told him about it and he saw it as a chance to- " said Hermione before she realized that he was about to betray Draco.  
Ron looked at her "A chance to what?"  
"Nothing." And she looked away.  
"Well if you don't have a reason why you told him then he shouldn't be here. And you shouldn't have told him."  
Hermione was red. He wanted to tell Ron and shove the pain Draco was going through in his face but she couldn't. Her feelings for Draco had grown and she was not going to betray that for some foolish school rivalry.  
Ginny got up, "I trust Hermione. And I trust Dumbledore and if they say they trust Malfoy then I trust Malfoy too."  
Hermione couldn't help but smile at Ginny. Oh how much she's changed throughout the years. She was no longer the shy little girl she used to be when they first met her. She was now able to stick up for herself and she never let anyone tell her what she thought was wrong.  
"I agree with Ginny. I trust both Hermione and Dumbledore and if they say that Draco has changed, then I believe them."  
"Have you forgotten Harry?" screamed Ron as he stood up "Have you forgotten all the rotten things he's said about you and your family? All the times he has tried to mess things up for us? You forgive him for pretending to be a dementor at your Quidditch game? You forgive him for taking house points from you just because he didn't like you?"  
Harry was silent. He hadn't thought about that. But when he thought about it, he had done a few pretty rotten things to Draco himself.  
Harry looked away and said "He's forgiven me so why shouldn't I forgive him?"  
Hermione took Harry's arm and patted it.  
"But he's a Malfoy" said Fred.  
"He's changed. Didn't you hear him? He doesn't even want to be a Malfoy anymore." Said Hermione.  
"What if he's lying?" Said George  
"He's not lying. You heard Dumbledore himself give fully consent for Draco's presence." Said Ginny  
Hermione got up and turned around to leave. She could hear that Harry had gotten up as well and was following her along with Ginny.  
  
They went to the room where Ginny and Hermione were staying in and closed the door. Hermione couldn't help but start crying. She wanted to tell them. She wanted them to understand but she couldn't. She wasn't going to betray Draco.  
They all sat around for a while in silent while Ginny handed Hermione a cloth to wipe her eyes.  
Finally when Hermione felt that she could say something she said "They just doing understand."  
"They don't understand what Hermione? Because I don't understand either. All I know is that you trust him and he says he's sorry. I have no proof but I do believe you. I just, I would feel better with some proof. Some proof that he is telling the truth." Said Harry  
Hermione cried some more "I can't. I can't tell you."  
"Why not?" said Harry  
"I'm not going to betray him. If he wants you to know he would have told you but he didn't. He didn't want you to know how he's feeling right now. You just need to trust me that he means well and that he's really trying hard to change."  
"I have to agree with Harry. I believe you but it's hard without proof and since you wont tell us, well-"  
"Its not that I don't want to tell you. I want to, I really do. I want you guys to understand what he's going through but I can't. I'm not in position to say anything."  
"Well, I guess it's easier for us to understand because we both went through the same thing as Draco." Said Harry "Ginny and I both had to decide wither we wanted other people to know about what happened. Ginny with Tom Riddle and me with Voldemort."  
Ginny shut her eyes at the name but she nodded in agreement. It was easier for both her and Harry to understand Draco because they both had to go through the same thing. And they just wanted others to understand that they had to respect if they wanted others to know about what happened or not." 


	12. Part 12

Ron and his twin brothers sat in their room for a few minutes. Ron didn't want to fight with his friends. Especially with Harry and Hermione. He hated fighting with them in their fourth year. He wanted to make amends, he really did but it was Draco. Draco Malfoy. It hurt Ron because a lot of the insults or the taunts that the Mafoy's had made was directed to the Weasley's. The lot about their father and their financial stakes. They weren't poor or anything, it's just that they had a lot to take care of. Having so many brothers and sister growing up with him.  
"How could Hermione do this to us?" asked Ron  
"Well, she's not really done anything to us Ron. She just trusted Draco. Although it really does seem quite out of the ordinary that Draco all of a sudden shows up and he has 'personal problems'" replied George.  
"Well Ron, since we're not going to be with you for a while, having to take care of our shop and all, you have fun at home with the rest of them."  
Oh great! Ron hadn't thought about this.  
"Maybe I could go to work with you guys or something"  
"Naw, you'd just get in the way. And plus, if you keep avoiding your friends what will you go back to Hogwarts with?"  
"How about I just come to work with you guys for a while. Then maybe later on in the month things wont be so difficult."  
Fred and George looked at each other. They really didn't want their brother to lose his friends.  
"But this thing will blow over once they realize that Malfoy is not out to help us." Said Fred  
"But they do have a point Fred" said George "Dumbledore trusts him. And-"  
"George, Dumbledore trusts Snape." Reminded Ron  
"Oh yeah. Forgot about that."  
"Well, we're just going to have to catch Malfoy in the act now wont we?" said Fred as he looked at George with a wicked grin on his face.  
George had caught on and a grin grew on his face as well "Oh yes. We definitely will and we have ways in doing so."  
  
A few days passed. Draco had dropped by a few times but only during the nighttime. Fred and George found out that he's been trying to keep an eye on his father for a while now. Every time Draco would stop by, he would be either in a meeting with the older members of the order or with Hermione.  
"Draco, how's your mother doing?" asked Hermione  
"She's not doing so great. It's taking longer as time goes by. But I haven't told her. I fear that if father finds out I know something he'll make mother drink veritaserum and tell him everything. I just wish I could get a way to get her away from the house."  
"Yeah, I agree, it must be really hard for her. We could definitely have her here but then your father would notice something and I'm afraid he might hurt you in return."  
"I'm not worried about me Hermione, I just want my mother safe. But I don't know how I can help her. Hermione, things are getting worst. It takes longer days for her to gain consciousness now."  
"Well then at least we know that Lucius is not in a high position with Voldemort then I guess."  
"Yes, but that only makes him angrier Hermione. It is a good thing, I agree but it hurts my mother. Maybe if I bring mother here then he would take it out on me and not her anymore."  
"Draco, and you think this will help the order how? Without you being healthy and strong how are we supposed to know anything about Voldemorts actions and plans?"  
"Professor Snape. Have you forgotten him?"  
"No, Professor Snape is helping yes but the more spies we have over there the better Draco. Trust me, we need you there and healthy."  
Draco didn't speak. He didn't want to admit it because he just wanted to save his mother. If his mother dies, well, he didn't want to think about that at the moment, or rather at all.  
"Fine, but as soon as we can find a way to save my mother then we will. I don't think she can take it any longer."  
"I know Draco, it would be hard if I was in your position as well."  
"Well, there doesn't seem like there's anything I can do for her now."  
"Well, how about the next time Dumbledore stops by I'll ask him about it okay?"  
"Yeah, I guess so. If Dumbledore doesn't know what to do then I don't know if there's anything we can do at all."  
Hermione smiled at him. He said anything 'we' can do. She was glad that he was including her in his struggle. She really wanted him to know that she was going to be there for him and that no matter what she would do anything to make things easier for him as well.  
"Look Draco, it's getting late. You'd better go before your father realizes you're gone. Do you think he has any idea?"  
"I'm not sure. I haven't really been concentrating on what he thinks of me. Its more what he's doing to my mother and what's going on with him and the death eaters. Although he likes the enthusiasm I'm showing him about the death eaters. He might let me join in a while too."  
"Be careful though. I mean being a death eater is not just joining a group or a club or anything like that. You might actually have to do something to make them think that you really are willing to devote your services to them."  
"I'm going to do whatever it takes to help my mother and help take revenge on my father. What he's doing to my mother is totally unfair."  
"Yes, I know Draco."  
Draco stood up.  
"Good Night Hermione."  
Hermione smiled at him.  
"Good Night Draco." 


	13. Part 13

Fred took the Extendable Ears back from the door and put them back in his pocket. He was standing there with George and Ron outside their room. They hurried upstairs to Fred and George's room so that they could talk in private.  
"So, its something to do with his mother then." Said Fred  
"Assume so. But that means his father is doing something to hurt his mother. What could he possibly do? And why does he care anyway? The Malfoy's have no heart." Said Ron bitterly  
Fred shrugged.  
"You know, Malfoy did seem a bit desperate to save his mother. It might be something really important. He said something about it getting worst and taking longer for his mother to become conscious again." Said George  
Fred shook his head, "He's probably saying something like that to get Hermione to feel sorry for him so she'll let him spy on Dumbledore for you- know-who."  
"But then wouldn't Dumbledore have know that by now that they have a spy amongst their group?" said George  
"Well, maybe not. Harry told me that all that stuff that happened two years ago was because Dumbledore's getting old. He might have overlooked the facts and just trusted Draco." Said Ron  
George shrugged. He wasn't going to argue with his brothers. The bunch of them were having problems as it was. Neither Ginny nor Hermione would give in to talking to them. Harry was usually just off to practices as he was getting ready for the battle. They hardly ever saw him and when they did see him they wouldn't speak much either. Harry spent most of his time with Ginny and Hermione if he was even around at all.  
"Look, I don't like this whole silent treatment the girls and Harry are giving us. It's making me feel bad and when I need to ask them things, they wont answer me, its becoming very inconvenient." Said George. He really wanted them all to get back together again and forget about the whole argument.  
"Not as long as Draco is visiting. He's evil and they should have noticed that by now. Ginny should be on our side. She's a Weasley and they make fun of her as much as they make fun of us." Complained Ron.  
Well it looked like it was going to be quite difficult for George to make things better between them. But George was seriously wondering if they should just forget it. They all trusted Draco and he kind of felt sorry for Draco himself. It looked like Draco was really going through a tough time and he really needed the Order to help him out. And it wasn't like Draco wasn't helping the Order himself. If they found out that Draco had anything to do with the Order, they would kill him. Draco was risking his life for the Order. Not even himself or Fred was doing this and they were older than Draco.  
"I'm going to bed before Harry gets back. I don't want another silent treatment when he walks in and that awkward feeling between us." Said Ron and he left.  
  
Ginny walked to the door of her room and knocked.  
"Yes?"  
"Hermione it's me Ginny, is it okay to come in now?"  
"Yeah, he left a while ago."  
Ginny opened the door and let herself in.  
"So, are things getting better for Draco?"  
"No, not really. Things seem to be getting worst but I intend on helping him through it. I'm going to talk to Dumbledore about it the next time I see him."  
"Oh, well whatever the problem is, it sounds pretty serious. And oh yeah, my mom said Dumbledore will be dropping in tomorrow to check how Harry's been doing with his practices."  
"That's good, then I can speak to him tomorrow."  
Just then there was another knock on the door.  
"Hey, its Harry, is everything okay in there?"  
"Yeah, you can come in if you want Harry." Replied Hermione as she eyed Ginny and smiled.  
Harry stepped in and closed the door behind him.  
"It's hard to apparate. I still can't do it silently yet. I'm tempted to get you to teach me Hermione."  
"Ask Draco to teach you. He's a really good teacher actually."  
"Maybe, but he's never around when I'm practicing."  
"True, and it looks as if things aren't going to change either. He said Lucius is thinking of letting him join the death eaters."  
Harry and Ginny's eyes went wide open.  
"So soon?" asked Ginny  
"Yeah, the sooner the better I guess that's what Lucius thinks. The longer he's a death eater the more corrupt they think he can get I guess."  
"But he's not like Snape though. Snape can block his thoughts from Voldemort. Draco can't." said Harry  
"Oh my, your right. Why didn't I see that before? Once Voldemort sees that Draco is lying, he might, well kill him."  
"Did he tell you when his father was going to make him a death eater?" asked Ginny  
"No, he said soon though. Lets hope that we get a chance to talk to him before they make him do anything."  
Harry and Ginny both nodded.  
"So, how's Draco doing anyway? With his personal problems and everything?" asked Harry  
"I was just telling Ginny. He's not doing that great. I'm going to talk to Dumbledore tomorrow and ask him if there's anything he can do. Things are just getting worst for Draco and I'm afraid that if they don't get any better there wont be any hope at all."  
"Well, whatever it is, I hope he gets through it. Draco might have been pretty rotten in the past but I trust that Dumbledore has made the right decision to take him into the Order."  
"Anyway, Harry, I think you should get some rest. Dumbledore's coming to see you tomorrow and how things have been going with your training."  
"It's so hard. Remus is trying to help me with Apparating and Moody is helping me with a bunch of defense spells. They said pretty soon I'm going to have to start training with the unforgivable curses soon."  
"Well, good luck with that Harry. Get some rest or else it'll be even more difficult for you." Said Ginny  
"I want to wait a while, until Ron has gone to sleep anyway. It's still awkward that we're all not talking. Kind of reminds me of when we were doing the tasks in our fourth year."  
"Well if their not going to trust us and believe that Draco really has changed then what can we do?"  
"I know Hermione, but isn't it weird? Maybe you can figure out a way to get them to believe Draco more. Give them proof."  
"Harry, I told you, I'm not going to betray Draco's trust."  
"I know Hermione, but it would still be a bit better. Try asking Draco next time you see him I guess."  
"Yeah, maybe I'll try. But it is quite personal, but I will try and bring it up and see how he reacts."  
"Yeah" said Harry yawning. "Your right. I should go get some rest. Long day tomorrow too." Harry groaned at the very thought of more training.  
"Harry, you'll do fine if you just keep working hard at it."  
"Yeah yeah Hermione. Good Night."  
"Good Night Harry." Said both Hermione and Ginny in unison. 


	14. Part 14

The next morning arrived and Hermione got up really early to make sure she could have a talk with Professor Dumbledore before he went to watch Harry's improvement over the training he's been getting.  
Hermione went downstairs and Mrs. Weasley was already up and ready to make breakfast.  
"Good Morning Hermione dear."  
"Good Morning Mrs. Weasley."  
Molly made Hermione a few eggs and some toast. And she sat down. They were quite for a while until Mrs. Weasley finally broke the silence.  
"Hermione, why did you let Draco join?"  
Hermione knew at least one person from the Order was just itching to ask her sooner or later so she wasn't exactly surprised.  
"Well, basically he proved to me that I could trust him. He showed me that he really has changed and circumstances be as they may, that eh was really truly sorry and he really wants to help the Order."  
"Well Hermione, I'm glad you trust him so much as to bring him into the Order. Although I must admit that I did not trust him before, he has proven already that he is a great help to us. He has warned us on many of the future plans that he-who-must-not-be-named has planned. I just hope that my boys aren't giving you too much of a hard time with it."  
"Well, actually they are not too accepting of him. But I'm hoping to be able to tell them the truth soon. Has Professor Ddmbledore told the members of the Order anything about Draco?"  
"Actually, no. But we trust in Albus's decisions and we trust that his decisions are the right ones. They usually are so, if he says we should trust Draco then I most certainly will."  
  
"So then did Draco tell anyone himself?"  
"No, Albus gave the entire problem to Draco. When Draco is ready to tell the Order then he will."  
Hermione nodded. That's exactly what she was thinking but the problem was, she was hoping that Draco had already told the others so it would mean that it wasn't as secret was it used to be.  
Just then Professor Dumbledore entered the kitchen.  
"Ah, Hermione dear. Harry informed me that you wanted to talk to me about young Malfoy did you not?"  
"Uh, Yes Professor Dumbledore."  
"Alright, lets step into the Black's living room and we'll discuss the matter before too many more people wake."  
They went into the living room and shut the door behind them.  
"Uh, professor?"  
"Yes?" said Dumbledore as he took a seat on a couch.  
"I was wondering if there would be any way for Draco's mother, Narcissa, to get away from the Malfoy Manor. Draco said that she has only been getting worst as days go by and pretty soon, he's afraid that there wont be much of his mother left." By the time she had finished saying what she had to say her voice was giving way.  
"Well, Hermione at the moment there is no way to rescue Narcissa Malfoy from the Manor but I have given it great thought and perhaps, when Draco is ready, we will talk this matter over with the other members of the Order and save Narcissa. In the mean time, why don't you try to make sure Draco is doing alright on his own. I know his duties are very important and I do wish that he would keep up his good work. He has proven very useful to the Order and I would definitely like to keep him around for a while." When he finished he gave Hermione a smile and for some reason, seeing Professor Dumbledore smile made the weight of the problem much lighter.  
"So then Professor, do you think it would be wise to try and persuade Draco to tell some others about the issue so more people can help him through this?"  
He smiled once again to Hermione. "That is precisely what I was about to ask you to do Ms. Granger."  
With those last words Dumbledore got up from his seat and made his way out the door but Hermione stopped him.  
"Oh, Professor, one more thing, Draco told me that his father will be making him a death eater soon right?"  
"Yes Ms. Granger."  
"But what if Voldemort sees right through Draco and kills him? Draco is unable to block his mind like Professor Snape is."  
"Yes, that is trust Hermione. I think it wise then for you to talk to young Malfoy and make sure he does everything in his power to delay his becoming a death eater as much as possible until we can get some time to train young Malfoy to block his mind as Professor Snape does."  
"Thanks Professor. Besides me, you're the only other person who knows about Draco's situation. And I'm glad I can talk to you about it."  
"You are very welcome Hermione. Now, if you will excuse me, I need to make sure Mr. Potter is keeping up with his training well."  
"Bye Professor."  
"Good Day Ms. Granger."  
After Dumbledore left, Hermione was still in the room. She didn't know how to ask Draco. She just had to really hope that he would understand and this misunderstanding between Ron and her would be over soon.  
  
When she was finished thinking a bit, she went to her room. She didn't want to see the others yet. For some reason she felt this situation about Draco should be kept between the three people but then she also wanted the others to trust Draco as well. Could there possibly be another way to ensure trust to the others without having to tell Draco's biggest secret? She thought about this for a long time but the answer was no. Draco would not be too pleased in what she had to say the next time they saw each other. She was sure of it. 


	15. Part 15

That night she was talking to Ginny when Draco had arrived in the middle of their conversation.  
"Oh, sorry if I interrupted anything." He turned to leave but Hermione stopped him. This was it. It was now or never.  
She turned to Ginny but Ginny had already gotten up and was heading for the door.  
"See you later Hermione and nice to see you again Draco."  
"Bye Ginny." Replied Draco  
He turned to face Hermione who was sitting on her bed in shorts and her hair was tied back in a very messy ponytail. She smiled at him and he could have sworn he had melted right there.  
She motioned for him to join her on the bed. Before he could say anything Hermione had already started speaking.  
"Draco, before I forget" as if she could forget something as important as this, thought Hermione "I had to warn you. You can't be a death eater yet. Not right now. I talked to Professor Dumbledore and he agreed that you need to get some training first."  
"Training? For what?"  
"Trainingtoblock you mind like Snape does. Or else Voldemort will see right through you and he might even kill you."  
Draco thought about this.  
"But my father wants it to be soon. He's been waiting for this moment for a long time now."  
"Yes but I don't know. Maybe we can do something about that. But I just need to make sure that nothing happens to you Draco. I care about you and if Voldemort did anything to you well, what would I do then?"  
He took her hand and was stroking it lightly.  
"Don't worry Hermione. I'll try to prolong the time if it botheres you so much okay?"  
Hermione smiled at him.  
"Oh, Draco, another thing."  
"Yes?"  
"I talked to Professor Dumbledore about your mother today."  
"And?"  
"And he said that he thinks its best, and I do too, that you tell some more people about what's been going on. Then perhaps the Order or something can help your mother."  
  
Draco stopped stroking her hand and all of a sudden her heart started pounding like mad. He's going to hate me. He's going to think that I've betrayed him or that I'm trying to make things worst for him. He won't believe that I care about him.  
Draco got up and started pacing around the room for a bit.  
It was a long while until he finally stopped and resumed his seat on Hermione's bed. She didn't dare say anything; she was afraid that maybe he would get mad or that she would annoy him.  
"I agree, once I tell the Order why I've changed, I think they will be able to help my mother."  
She smiled but that wasn't exactly what she wanted. She wanted a bit more. She was trying to think if she should even bother asking him.  
She made up her mind. She had to. She had gone this far already.  
"Draco, did you want to tell Harry and the others about your situation? Harry and Ginny believe you but Ron and his brothers are a bit suspicious about the whole thing."  
Draco fell silent again. He was thinking. It seemed to him that no matter how many hours a day has, there is never enough time for thinking. There are always more things to think about once you start.  
"Hermione, I think that would be alright. If I'm going to tell the Order anyway, I might as well tell the people I will be going to school with so they trust me as well."  
Hermione smiled and almost knocked him over when she gave him a hug. Draco didn't expect that at all. He hugged her back. She was so close to him right now. She slowly released him. It felt so good to hug him. It wasn't liking hugging Harry or Ron or anyone else. It was different, it felt like it did when they were talking in her room all of July.  
Then she thought he was going to move in to kiss her when he took her hang and stood up.  
"Come on then. We need tell the others right?"  
She followed him as he held onto her hand.  
They found Ron and his brothers in the room Ron and Harry were sharing. Right when Hermione was about to go and find Ginny and Harry they entered the room as well.  
"Well, this scene feels all too familiar." Said Fred  
Hermione led Draco to Harry's bed while still holding on to his hand.  
"Well, we're here to tell you something."  
Everyone took a seat and made themselves comfortable.  
"Well, since some of the trust between us is not exactly there, to clear the matter Draco has decided that he would like to tell the others what exactly caused him to change so much from the 'different' person he was before."  
"That's an understatement." Mumbled Ron  
Hermione shot him a glare from where she was. She wanted this to be clean and he was only making things more difficult.  
"Anyway" said Hermione "Draco, I think, is ready?"  
  
He looked at her and she smiled at him still holding onto his hand.  
"Okay, well it all started after my father was caught for being a  
death eater years ago." 


	16. Part 16

Draco took his time explaining everything as he had to Hermione, leaving out the little story of seeing her that day with Crabbe and Goyle and the little story of Hades and Persephone. Every so often he would glance at her and she would tighten her grip on his and smile.  
After he was done Ginny had gotten a tissue and was crying. Harry looked shocked and George looked sympathetic.  
Ron and Fred on the other hand still looked a bit suspicious of Draco.  
"This all seems to, how do I say this?" asked Fred  
"Fake?" replied Ron  
Hermione got up and Ron stood up as well. "Who do you think you are? That was totally out of line Ron. Do you know how hard it is for Draco? And you don't care at all do you? Not one bit."  
"No Hermione I DON'T care. Because I know he's lying and making all this up so that you will give him sympathy. Hermione, you need to look behind and see what is behind Malfoy that you can't see."  
Hermione was furious by now and Harry had stood up to defend Hermione.  
"Ron, that was not nice. Haven't you listened to a word Draco has said?"  
"Yes, yes I have but I never thought that even you Harry would believe such crap coming from his evil lying mouth." Shot Ron  
"Yeah Harry, I mean, I expected better of you, and a more reasonable story at that." Said Fred looking from Harry to Draco.  
"Fred, I thought that story was pretty believable." Said George finally.  
"WHAT? Not you too!" said Fred in shock  
Ginny was still silent. She didn't know what to say. She couldn't believe that her brothers we so blind as to not see what Draco was going through. Her own brothers, she was so disappointed.  
Finally Draco stood up and said, "Look, Ron I'm not trying to make you believe, I'm just doing this because Hermione wants this fight between you guys to be over with. Don't believe me for me, believe me for Hermione."  
Fed and Ron were both stunned. The selfish, self-centred Draco Malfoy was doing something for someone else and not for himself?  
"Whatever Draco-" shot Ron but he was interrupted  
"Look Ron, even though I think the story is crap, I believe Hermione, and well, she believes Draco so I'll believe Draco too." Said Fred  
Hermione smiled at him. So the twins really DID have brains after all. She made a mental note to make it up to them in the future.  
Ron sat down and looked away. No one said anything for a long while. Hermione was about to leave with Draco when Ron finally spoke again.  
"How could you Hermione?"  
"How could I what Ron? You keep asking me that but I don't get it."  
"How could you fall in love with him?"  
Hermione turned bright red "I WHAT?"  
"You heard me Hermione" said Ron finally turning over to face her.  
"I'm- but I'm- I'm-" was all she was able to mutter  
But it was Draco who came to the rescue "She doesn't Ron. She doesn't love me."  
Hermione turned to him. She was grateful for him to have saved her but she was also afraid. Did he really think that she wasn't even interested in him, just a little? Hermione didn't say anything.  
"I believed the story but I was angry because I know Hermione and you are in love." Said Ron. "What do you see in him that you don't see in me?"  
Hermione suddenly felt very uncomfortable.  
When it was clear that Hermione wasn't going to reply Ron continued.  
"I've liked you for so long Hermione. Why didn't you understand that? And at one point, I thought u liked me too."  
Hermione was in a bit of shock. She suddenly got really cold and Draco felt it.  
"Hermione, are you okay? Harry, do you have a sweater or something? She's really cold."  
Draco had still been holding on to Hermione's hand. And still, even after what Ron said she didn't let go of his hand.  
Harry quickly found a sweater for Hermione and draped it over her shoulders.  
Hermione was still looking at Ron with disbelief.  
"Ron, I did like you. In our fourth year remember? But at that time, I liked Viktor as well. By the time Viktor and I were over, I didn't have feelings for you anymore. Ron, we're friends, we always were and we always will be. Can you understand that?"  
Ron looked away. He was obviously about to cry but he didn't want them to see it.  
"Hermione, what do you see in Malfoy?"  
Draco was about to answer but Hermione stopped him.  
"That's exactly what I see in him. Ron, you have been the same person you have always been. Always a good friend, but Draco showed me something no one else has. He showed me how someone can change. He showed me that I could trust him."  
"Oh and you can't trust me?" shot Ron  
"I trust you, but not the same way I trust Draco. Its still trust but it's a different kind of trust."  
"Then I'm sorry Hermione. I don't understand and I refuse to understand."  
  
"Ron, your only seventeen. You're going to grow up and meet tonnes of new people. Ron the difference is that you don't need me."  
"What do you mean I don't need you? I need you!"  
"No you don't. And even if you do, it's not a need that will last forever. It's a need that is only for the present, when you realize that you don't need me any more then what are you going to do?"  
"Why does HE need you then?"  
"Ron, use your brain for once. Draco needs me to help him through his situation right now."  
"Well, he told us and now we know so he wont need you anymore."  
"Ron, your wrong." Said Draco "I need Hermione more than anything in the world.  
"No you don't. I need Hermione like I need air."  
No one said anything to this, not even Hermione.  
It was a long while until anyone say anything.  
"Yes Ron, I know you need Hermione like air." Ron was shocked. Was he trying to help Ron? But he was too fast in thinking this "But Ron, I need Hermione like the darkness needs its light." 


	17. Part 17

Hermione was red all over again. This was not happening. That was the sweetest thing anyone has ever said. And the fact that it took Draco so long to say it was even sweeter.  
  
Everyone turned to Draco. No one had ever expected Draco to say something like that. Draco simply looked in another direction trying to avoid their eyes.  
  
"Draco I-" said Hermione.  
  
"It's okay Hermione."  
  
"But I want to know. Why didn't you just let go?"  
  
"Hermione, remember the story of Persephone and Hades?"  
  
Hermione nodded.  
  
"Remember how you said she ended up falling in love with him in the end?"  
  
Hermione nodded again.  
  
"Well, I know you know this part but we never brought it up, he never gave up on her. He never gave up on Persephone and well, he never would. I don't think I ever will either."  
  
Hermione smiled at him but she didn't want to make any moves until she was sure they were alone. Ron would freak after what he had just said.  
  
"Why do you trust him?" asked Ron, breaking the moment entirely.  
  
But Hermione never took her eyes off Draco "Because he showed me that sometimes, I'm going to have to jump into the darkness and just trust that he will be there to catch me."  
  
Draco looked into her eyes. He had been trying to express how he felt to her and that alone was what he had been trying to say. Although he knew that he shouldn't do anything to Hermione until they were alone. After what Ron had just proclaimed, he was sure that Ron would beat him silly.  
  
Harry looked at Ron, Ron looked like he was about to die. Harry had to do something, he didn't want to humiliate Ron. He took Hermione and Draco and pushed them out the door.  
  
Harry walked them both, accompanied but Ginny to Hermione and Ginny's room. Once they were there Draco was looking at Hermione and she was slowly sneaking peeks at him from her rummaging for a cloak because it really had started getting cold, even in the middle of summer.  
  
Ginny just sat on her bed looking at everyone. Harry joined her and sat on her bed as well.  
  
Hermione found the cloak she was looking for, put it on and sat on her bed.  
  
"Do you really trust me Hermione?"  
  
"Yes, at first I wasn't so sure, but after you told me about your mother and what was going on I remembered the day when Crabbe and Goyle came up to me at Hogwarts."  
  
"WHAT?" yelled Harry  
  
Hermione looked at him and told him what had happened.  
  
"Well, I thought it was really strange how you came up and saved me from them. I mean, it wasn't like you to not wait until they were through then remind them of food but I never thought anything of it. I thought you just didn't want them to waste their time with a mudblood."  
  
Draco took Hermione's hand "I'm glad you trust me Hermione."  
  
"And I'm glad you haven't given up on me."  
  
"So, what are we going to do about Ron?" asked Ginny  
  
"Well" Hermione thought about it for a while then said "Nothing"  
  
"What?" asked Harry  
  
"Well, what did you want me to do? You heard him, he wants something I can't give him." Asked Hermione  
  
"True, but he's going to be so heart broken." Replied Harry  
  
"Harry, you, as well as I, know he'll be fine."  
  
"Yeah, but this is turning out to be a more awful Summer holiday than I expected."  
  
"What are you talking about?" asked Hermione "I think its going perfect." Looking at Draco who smiled back but frowned quickly.  
  
"What? You've given up on me already?"  
  
"No, it's not that. It's my mother. If only I could help her and keep her safe then it would be perfect."  
  
"Your right" said Harry "We need to find a way to help your mother."  
  
Hermione looked at Draco then back to Harry "Look, I think that Draco can get the Order to help him. It's going to be pretty hard for you if you're training all day and everything."  
  
"I guess your right."  
  
Hermione smiled, Harry was much more accepting of everything lately. She didn't know why but he just was.  
  
Hermione guessed that Harry knew what she was thinking because Harry then said "Hermione, I had to thank you in person. The gift you gave me was perfect. Its helped me take my mind off things and made it much easier."  
  
"What do you mean?" said Hermione who glanced quickly at Draco who squeezed her hand and Smiled.  
  
"Well, it is the scale of the Dragon who will give me the one thing I desire the most."  
  
"Right."  
  
"Well" said Harry "I've decided to get Sirius back."  
  
"What?" asked Hermione. This was NOT what she had been expecting at  
all.  
  
"Sirius. I'm going to wish for him to come back."  
  
"Uh, I don't know if that's possible Harry."  
  
"Oh, but it is!" said Draco "If Harry wants Sirius back enough then the dragon scale will give him Sirius back."  
  
"Really?" asked Ginny  
  
"Yeah. Well at least I think so. My father told me its one of the greatest weapons anyone could get their hands on."  
  
"Wait, how did you?" asked Harry looking and Draco  
  
"Uh," was all Draco could say  
  
"Was it you? Did you give that to me?" asked Harry  
  
"Well, no, it was Hermione."  
  
"No it wasn't Draco. You got it for Harry and you know it! How was I supposed to get my hands on something like that anyway?" said Hermione  
  
Harry gave a little laugh "I was wondering that for a while when I was at the Dursley's."  
  
"See, Harry's smart, he figured it out himself anyway."  
  
Draco looked at Hermione in defeat. "I guess so."  
  
"Well Thank You very much Draco. You are about to give me my godfather back." 


	18. Part 18

Harry took out his wand and said "Accio Dragon Scale" and he came flying at Harry. It was a thin scale so Hermione expected that it must have gone under the door and slipped through the crack.  
  
"Okay, what do I do now?"  
  
Draco walked up to him, "Well, you hold it in front of you and you have to make sure you look deep deep into the scale okay?"  
  
Harry did as he was told.  
  
"Now, think about what it is that you desire the most. Think hard now Harry, concentrate on your godfather."  
  
For a moment Harry saw nothing. Then something flashed in the scale. He saw his godfather. He saw his godfather grinning at him but it was all green. Everything around Sirius was green.  
  
"I see him." Said Harry  
  
"Okay, now wish. Don't say it out loud. Wish in your mind and with your heart. Wish with all your might that you want him to come back to you. Remember how it felt like with he was around. Remember how it was like when he hugged you or was just there to support you when you needed him. Remember all of it."  
  
Harry remembered and wished with all his might. He didn't take his eyes off the image of his godfather. He was afraid that if he did he may never be able to see him again.  
  
All of a sudden the shape of the Dragon scale was changing under Harry's hand. It was no longer thin, it was beginning to take the form of something, or someone.  
  
"Oh my God." Said Harry as he let go of the Dragon Scale  
  
The Dragon scale hit the floor and got larger and larger it was taking the form of Sirius. The legs were forming, the head was now visible, the arms were there and definitely the torso was here.  
  
Hermione gasped and Draco went to her. He was holding her now as she was staring at the form that looked like Sirius.  
  
Finally everything stopped and there he was. Sirius was standing there with his eyes closed. He was wearing exactly what he was wearing when he had fallen through the veil.  
  
Harry made a noise that didn't sound like anything Hermione could describe.  
  
Then quickly as ever Sirius opened his eyes and saw Harry in front of him. He took a step towards Harry but Harry took a step back.  
  
"Your not real. Draco you tricked me! You said I could have him back. This is too much."  
  
"Harry?" said Sirius "Harry is that you?"  
  
Harry looked at Sirius. His eyes wide open. Hermione thought he was going to faint any second now.  
  
"Harry, I didn't lie to you. It's really him. Its really your godfather."  
  
Harry shook his head. "No, it's not real. I thought I would only be able to see him. That it was only an image of him in the scale."  
  
"The scale?" asked Sirius, "What scale?"  
  
"The Dragon scale" answered Draco "A scale taken from the dragon of all desire"  
  
"Harry, I'm so glad I get to see you again."  
  
Then Hermione noticed it. Sirius still had the mark that Bellatrix had shot at him which threw him off balance and pushed him behind the veil.  
  
"Sirius, your hurt"  
  
"Oh no Hermione. I've gotten used to it. How long has it been since I fell behind that thing?" asked Sirius  
  
"Over a year now."  
  
"Well, if a veil couldn't kill me, I doubt Bellatrix could."  
  
Harry looked at his godfather, then looked at Hermione, the looked back at his godfather, then he looked at Draco, then he looked back as his godfather.  
  
"Oh my God its really you!" and Harry ran at his godfather. He was hugging his godfather and he wouldn't let him go. "I thought I would never be able to get you back."  
  
"Naw, not me. I knew you would figure out a way. Although the Dragon scale would have been my last thought because there's only a few out there. Less than ten of them I might add. How did you get your hands on one anyway?"  
  
Harry, who was still hugging Sirius, said "Draco, he gave it to me for my birthday."  
  
"Draco? Draco Malfoy?" said Sirius and he turned and saw him.  
  
Hermione stepped up, "Sirius, Draco isn't helping Voldemort anymore" Ginny gasped. "Draco is actually helping the Order. We're still trying to defeat him."  
  
Sirius looked at Harry again "is this true? Is Draco really helping the Order?  
  
"Yes" replied Harry who just wouldn't let his godfather go."  
  
"And Dumbledore let him in?"  
  
"Yes, Dumbledore interviewed him personally."  
  
"Really? Well then all I have to say is Welcome to the house of the Blacks. Make yourself at home and enjoy. If Dumbledore says yes then Dumbledore is right. Although I do doubt his choices" said Sirius suddenly remembering Snape.  
  
Draco gaped "Oh no Draco, he's referring to Snape."  
  
Draco closed his mouth and made a motion that looked like he said "Oh."  
  
"Thank You Draco. Thank You SO much! You gave me back my godfather."  
  
"Well then, I think we'd better go downstairs and warn the others that troubles back again and ready for some action." Said Sirius with an evil smile on his face. 


	19. Part 19

Hermione and Draco walked into the kitchen where the Order was holding a meeting.  
They all looked at them in surprise. They were both grinning madly and this was pretty awkward for the Order since they were having a very serious discussion.  
"Um, Hermione, are you alright?" asked Tonks  
"Oh, I'm fine" she said and smiled again  
"Is something wrong then?" asked Mr. Weasley  
"Oh, no sir. Actually, everything is better than alright." Hermione couldn't help but start laughing.  
Just then she thought she saw Dumbledore start smiling as well.  
But it was Moody who got up.  
"Is it true?"  
Hermione remembering Moody's magical eye stopped laughing just enough to nod her head.  
"What is going on?" asked Lupin  
"Well, just see for yourself."  
Harry walked in with Sirius and Ginny and everyone stopped. There was no noise, no attempt for noise at all.  
Everyone was just staring at Sirius and Harry. Harry was still clutching on to Sirius for dear life. So afraid that he might lose him again.  
"What is the meaning of this sick joke?" asked Severus  
"Oh, I assure you this is no joke." Replied Sirius coolly.  
"Oh my, I thought I'd lost you for good there." said Lupin as he walked over to Sirius to give his long time friend a hug.  
"I knew I'd be back. I've got Harry here looking out for me." Said Sirius as he patted Harry on the back. That was all he could get to since Harry was still holding on to Sirius.  
Sirius gave a light laugh "Harry, I'm not going anywhere. You can let go and I'll still be here."  
"NO!" said Harry  
"Come on Harry, its okay. I promise I wont go anywhere this time."  
"But what if you dissapear?"  
"I wont Harry, its okay for you to let me go. It'll be okay."  
Slowly and cautiously Harry released Sirius.  
"My Harry, you've grown so much in a year!"  
Harry smiled at him and gave his godfather another hug to make sure he was really there.  
"I thought you were gone."  
"Harry, I know, but I knew you would bring me back." Said Sirius patting Harry on the top of his head.  
"It's nice to have you around again Sirius." Said Mr. Weasley as he gave Sirius a pat on the back.  
Severus was the only one who stayed seated with his arms crossed. Everyone had gotten up, including Dumbledore, and either gave Sirius a hug or a pat on the back.  
"Harry was worried sick over you." Exclaimed Tonks  
"No I wasn't!"  
Sirius gave a slight chuckle and held my shoulders once again.  
"Well, Sirius, now I think you know what we can do don't you?" said Dumbledore  
"Sirius raised an eyebrow "No, I'm not sure I follow."  
"Show me your arm then."  
Sirius pulled up his sleves and showed his bare arms with no marks what so ever.  
"That is what I am talking about Sirius." Said Dumbledore  
"I still don't follow" said Sirius  
"You are not a death eater. You never were therefore, that clears you of all charges now that Voldemort is back."  
A few members of the Order still shuddered at his name. Harry noticed the only ones who didn't shudder were Dumbledore, himself, Hermione, Draco, Sirius, and Lupin.  
Moody made it clear that he was quite uncomfortable about saying his name. Harry knew Moody was an incredibly strong Auror but he couldn't imagine Moody ever being afraid of anything. Moody was one of the most fearless wizards Harry ever met.  
  
After they all welcomed Sirius back to the Order and checked him over to make sure he was real they sat down to carry on with their meeting once more. But Hermione had something to say.  
"Uh, theres something else."  
Everyone turned to Hermione. No one rally objected to Hermione since most people were so happy of Sirius's return.  
She looked at Draco and Draco nodded.  
"Draco has decided that he will share with you what he has been going through. And he really wants a way to solve the problem he's been going through, that is if you'll help him with it."  
Harry and Ginny made a leave for the room. They knew it was hard enough for Draco to have explained it once to them. They didn't need to hear it again.  
Draco looked at Dumbledore and Dumbledore gave him a smile and a nod. Draco started to explain once again what he had been going through for the past eight months. 


	20. Part 20

When Draco had finished with what he had to say, there was silence among the Order for a long time. Even longer than when the story was told to the others earlier. Mrs. Weasley was down in tears just like Ginny was earlier.  
  
"Draco, you know there's no way any of us can take back what's happened already right?" said Lupin  
  
"Yes, I'm aware of that." Said Draco looking away.  
  
"Then we should start thinking of what we can do to save Narcissa. The sooner the better; but how do we do that without hurting Draco in the process?" asked Sirius  
  
"I don't care if I get hurt in the process. As long as my mother is okay, that's all I want." Said Draco again without looking at anyone.  
  
"Don't be silly Draco. If your hurt then who's going to protect your mother then?" asked Moody  
  
Draco didn't speak. Hermione knew that Draco would do anything to keep his mother safe from his father.  
  
"Draco, their right. Stop trying to think only of your mother. Think of yourself too. I mean if your gone, what's going to happen to your mother?" whispered Hermione.  
  
"I know, but she's in pain. She's dying more and more each day. She's getting weaker and I feel so useless. I can't do anything. I can't save her. I can't protect her." said Draco  
  
"It's okay Draco, we'll find a way to hid her here. But we need to do it so that your father doesn't direct his anger to you or others around your house. We still need you to be there with the death eaters and learn their actions you know." Said Tonks  
  
"Yes, I know" replied Draco "I just, I don't want to be a death eater. I don't want to have anything to do with them. Their just so evil."  
  
"You know, we could just scrap the whole Draco spying thing and get Narcissa and the servants out of the house when Lucius isn't at home." Said Lupin  
  
Dumbledore had been quiet long enough. "Of course, we never wanted to do anything that would put you in any danger Draco. If you do not want to go through with this we understand entirely. Being a death eater spy is not a very easy task to do at all."  
  
"No, I want to help the Order, but I want to help my mother at the same time."  
  
"Draco, we're going to have to really think about this. This is very serious but I assure you that we will rescue your mother if it makes you feel any better." said Dumbledore  
  
"Thank You. It has, I can only hope that she is rescued in time. Please excuse me." Said Draco as he made for the door absentmindedly dragging Hermione along.  
  
When Draco and Hermione were out of the kitchen and the door closed he held on to Hermione. He needed someone there, if Dumbledore couldn't find a way to rescue her right now, he didn't know who could.  
  
Draco didn't cry, he wanted to, God how much he wanted to cry but he wouldn't. He's not the type of person to cry. Draco does not cry. But this is a different Draco, one that's changed. A Draco that wants nothing to do with the old Draco.  
  
Hermione was holding on to Draco as much as he was holding on to her. She knew what it meant. If Dumbledore didn't know what to do what was the chance of them actually being able to do anything at all?  
  
"I'm going to think of a way Draco. And if I find a way, we'll do it. No matter what the Order says. Okay?"  
  
Draco just held her. He didn't show any signs of having even heard what she said.  
  
"You didn't let me go and I wont let you go. Ever."  
  
Draco couldn't help it anymore. He couldn't take it anymore. He wanted to be with her. He wanted to be with her forever because of all the faith she had in him. Because of all the faith she had in him being anything like what she is. He loved her; he could tell himself that he truly deeply loved her, not because of her smile, not because she held his hand when things got rough. But because she had faith in him. She believed not only in him but she believed in him being better. She believed.  
  
With that last thought he slowly and gently kissed her. Wishing that when he opened his eyes she would still be there. Standing in front of him. It wasn't a long kiss, it was a small kiss that sent chills through both of them just thinking of it. It was as if they could see each other, see into each other's past and their feelings. In those two seconds that the kiss lasted they saw everything flash behind their minds.  
  
She saw all the things his father did. She saw everything from his mother and how she looked to him crying in the corner of his room by himself thinking that he was useless because he couldn't do anything. She felt the hope leave him when he heard Dumbledore tell him that they will be working on the solution. She felt the hope leave him when he realized that they didn't already have a plan. She felt the joy he felt when he first saw her. She felt the happiness flow through him, the hope flow through him when she took his hand for the first time to comfort him in her room.  
  
He saw everything in her past. All the work she did to try to live up to her parents. Her parents weren't exactly as rich as Draco's but they were still very successful. He felt how she felt when she was afraid that she might not be like her parents, he felt what she felt when she was afraid to disappoint her parents. He felt her at school being laughed at by those who she thought were her friends. He felt how much pain she was going through when she called her friends and they all left her. He felt the happiness in her when he had told everyone that she was his light in darkness. He felt the happiness flow back to her. He felt the happiness returning to her when they talked for hours in her room. He felt the sorrow leave whenever he showed up in her room to talk to her, to help her. He saw the pain she went through whenever the old Draco made fun of her, he saw how it reminded her of how things used to be when she was in school with her other friend's. While they were out playing she was studying to make sure she would one day be what her parents are.  
  
The kiss may have been two seconds, but whenever they were together, time seemed to have stopped for them. Two seconds of a kiss was eternity in their minds. 


	21. Part 21

A few weeks went by and Draco still visited Hermione every night. They didn't mention the kiss, nor was another one given. They kept the secret to themselves, it was a special moment. A special feeling that both of them shared in secret. They didn't need to speak of it in order to know they were meant to be together. They both knew what it meant and they both also knew that there was no need for everyone else to know.  
  
Its funny how much a simple thing as a kiss can mean. Its also fumy how much a simple thing as a kiss can help one soul realize.  
  
Every night, when Draco stopped to visit Hermione, they talked for hours. Some nights Ginny, Harry, Fred, or George would join them. Some nights they were all together. They often discussed what they could do to help Draco's mother. They often talked about what they could do when Voldemort has decided to strike. Nothing seemed to work but for some reason, Draco did not feel depressed about this issue. He still loved his mother, he still wanted so much for her to be rescued, but something inside was telling him that everything would be okay in the end. Something inside told him that one day, they would be able to be happy again.  
  
"So, why don't we do something to make Voldemort strike earlier and then Lucius would be distracted at all the work that the death eaters had to do, therefore leaving Narcissa alone?" suggested Ginny  
  
"No, Harry's not ready yet. We need harry prepared, we can't just throw him into the battle unprepared." Said Hermione  
  
"Then Harry should hurry up!" taunted Fred  
  
"No Fred, its hard to train for this kind of stuff. You know it and I know it." Said Hermione  
  
"How about we kill Bellatrix? Then Voldemort would put Lucius back up there beside him." Suggested George  
  
"We're not going to KILL anyone." Said Hermione stiffly  
  
"What if we make Bellatrix the Order's new target??" asked Fred  
  
"Please remember, the Order is to restore goodness, killing isn't exactly good no matter who's doing the killing." Said Hermione  
  
"But it'll save Narcissa's life Hermione." Protested Fred  
  
"But is it worth killing for when there might be another way?" asked Hermione  
  
"That's the thing Hermione, there doesn't seem to BE another way. If there was then the Order would have thought of it as well." Said George  
  
"Look, we're not going to get the Order to kill anyone okay?" said Hermione  
  
"Fine. But what other way could there be for us to rescue Narcissa?" asked Fred  
  
"It's okay. For some reason, I feel like it'll be okay. Like everything will get better eventually." Said Draco. He hadn't spoken much since they started talking about the issue again. He didn't really seem like he wanted to talk about it. Being at Grimmauld Place made him forget, forget about all the wrong back at his home, which he had to face during the day.  
  
He stood. "Its about time I get going. My father's wondering why I'm always waking up late in the afternoons."  
  
He looked at Hermione and smiled at her. She smiled back at him and the world before him froze. He could watch her smile all day. She wasn't just any other girl he had ever known, she was Hermione Granger, the one who has been through so much with him. The one who will be there for him until the end.  
  
"I'll be back tomorrow. Good Night."  
  
"Good Night Draco."  
  
And he was gone.  
  
God, she could see he was hurt. He smiled at him; a beautiful smile, but it never reached his eyes. His eyes were still sad and empty. She knew he felt better about the whole rescuing his mother thing, but, in all honesty, he wouldn't be truly happy until he was certain that she was safe. And there was nothing she could do.  
  
"You know, I think we should lay back a bit on talking about the whole rescuing thing. Draco doesn't seem to like hearing about it." Said Hermione  
  
"Yeah, I agree, he seems so depressed all the time when the topic comes up." Said Ginny  
  
"Okay, then next time we'll lay off a bit. We'll talk about something else okay?" said Harry  
  
"Yeah, and I really wish Ron would just lay off Draco. I mean, everyone else understands Draco, why can't he?" asked Hermione  
  
"Well, he has his own personal issues he needs to work out before he can be in the same room as him again. Just give him time, it'll be better once you guys are at school. He'll be around other people and that means he'll be around other girls, he'll be able to keep his mind off of you and it'll be okay again." Said Fred  
  
"God, I hope so." Replied Hermione  
  
"It will be, he needs his Ron space. He's been ga ga over you for a while now." Said Fred  
  
"So, how are YOU doing?" said Hermione looking at Harry  
  
"What are you talking about?" asked Harry with a raised eyebrow  
  
"Well, there isn't a special SOMEONE is there?" as she eyes Ginny  
  
Harry blushed and looked away. Hermione knew that he was starting to feel something for Ginny but he didn't have time for relationships right now. He had to spend his time training for the battle and he couldn't do that if Ginny needed his time as well.  
  
Hermione smiled at his response. She was happy that he was taking interest in someone either than Cho.  
  
After their fifth year, Cho not only broke up with Michael during the summer but also dated multiple people along the way. Cho just couldn't stay stable with one guy for too long and Hermione knew that was what Harry needed. Someone to love and to stay there, not to disappear one day. He had had enough of that, with his parents and Sirius. Although Sirius came back, it was likely that Cho wouldn't. Cho liked Harry, everyone could tell, even when she was dating other guys but she couldn't handle him. Hermione saw that too, Harry was too much for Cho. Hermione liked Cho, she was a good friend to have around, but Cho and Harry just weren't good together. They wouldn't last and in the end, Harry was most likely to be the one hurt by all of it and Hermione didn't want that. Harry had been through enough. He needed someone to be there for him no matter what. Ginny would be good. 


	22. Part 22

Hermione decided to have a talk with Ron. She needed to straighten things out between them. Now it was a battle between her and Ron, not Ron and Draco anymore.  
She knocked on the door.  
"Come in." said Ron  
She opened the door and Ron looked up and his face fell, "Oh, its you."  
She still held the smile; she knew this was not easy for Ron.  
"I just wanted to talk to you about something. About us.  
  
"There is no us, unless I'm mistaken, you made it very clear that there will never ever be an 'us'."  
"Ron, don't be like this. I need to explain and you're just making this more difficult for me."  
"Then don't say anything at all. It's that easy. I know you and DRACO have a THING and I'm not going to get in the way if that's what your worried about. I may not be as smart as either of you but I know when I'm not wanted and I stay away." "Ron, that's not what I meant. Draco, Draco is someone very special and I want you to see how special he is with me. Everyone else has accepted him, why can't you?"  
  
"Because Hermione, this is not something that's easy for me." Said Ron, he had given up the fury that was building in him. He didn't want to yell at Hermione anymore. He saw no reason to it.  
"Then how can I make it easier for you?"  
"You can't. Look, Hermione, Draco is someone who has always had everything. He's got power, he's really good looking, he's got the brains, he's got money, who wouldn't want him? I don't blame you."  
"Ron-"  
"Look, he's everything anyone would want. I understand why you would choose him over me. He even gave Harry back his godfather. How can I compete with that?"  
"Ron-"  
"You don't need to explain. I'm sorry I was such a pest. It's just so hard for me to see the one person I ever loved go off with someone else. And there's not one God damned thing I can do about it."  
"RON, LISTEN WILL YOU?"  
He looked up at her in surprised but he also shut up.  
"Ron, its not that I chose Draco over you, its that he makes me feel something no one else has ever made me feel. Ron, its nothing against you, this is not a war between the two of us. This is just a change in my life, and I know that Draco will forever mean something very important to me. Do you understand?"  
"Yeah, but-"  
"There is no 'buts'. Just accept it. There are going to be many other girls out there for you Ron. I'm not the only girl although it DID take you up until our 4th year to see that."  
Ron smiled at her. "Your right. I'm sorry though."  
She opened her mouth to say that he shouldn't be sorry for anything but instead she said, "It's okay."  
She turned to leave but then she turned back "Tomorrow night, my room, everyone's meeting there and don't mention anything about Draco's mother. We've already tried to think of ways to help her but we can't find anything and its just making him feel more depressed."  
  
Ron looked at her for a moment. He looked like he was going to add to that but he just shut his mouth and smiled at her.  
After Hermione left the room he made start to the plan. If there was any way he was going to make it up to Draco it would be to rescue his mother. And to make sure no one finds out how it happened, he was going to have to rescue her himself. If he left it up to Draco, Ron didn't put it past Lucius to not use Veritaserum on his own son to find out his mothers whereabouts.  
After an hour of planning he hid the parchment he had written away. He was going to have to wait a while to bring about the plan. The problem with this plan was that if he didn't get a chance to do it at the exact right time, he would get Draco into a lot of trouble. And that was not what he wanted, not for Draco, maybe to Malfoy but not to Draco. Ron was glad that Draco was making Hermione so much happier. He thought for a while and realised that maybe, he himself would not be able to make her so happy. He smiled, 'I'm glad at least she got what she deserved.' He thought and fell asleep. Things were going to be okay if he could get the plan to work. 


	23. Part 23

A week had passed and those at Grimmauld Place who were to be returning to Hogwarts in less than a month had received what they had been waiting for all summer. Their letters for book lists finally arrived.  
  
They had yet another new Defense against Dark Arts teacher. The last one just wasn't as good as they thought he would be. Professor Windole was a total joke. He didn't know what he was doing at all. Many of the students were quite disappointed in Professor Dumbledore for hiring him at all but then what could Dumbledore do? No one wanted the job and Windole had openly offered to do the job and make Dumbledore's life just a bit easier with all the Voldemort work to do. At the end of the year Dumbledore had to let Windole go. Even Dumbledore was disappointed and Dumbledore was never disappointed, well that's what the others thought, he let Trelawney teach Divination after all didn't he?  
  
After Windole was presented before the school, it wasn't long before Harry had to start up the DA group again. This time without that little snitch they had last year in. Harry ended up teaching the entire year 6 Defense against Dark Arts. Voldemort was too focused on releasing his death eaters than planning anything against Harry, yet. Too bad Voldemort didn't notice how much power was growing in Harry. As Harry was teaching he was learning and this would be a great advantage against Voldemort one day.  
  
They arrived at Diagon Alley to get their items. Everything was going fine until they reached Flourish and Boltts when they ran into Draco and his father.  
  
"Well, isn't it nice to see that the poor are only getting poorer while their population grows. Did you have to beg the ministry yet again to get money for items or what? You'd think that after the twins ran off and fulfilled their dream that maybe someone in the family would have brains to follow. Too bad their shop is a joke, literally speaking as well. What a waste of time and energy for such rubbish." exclaimed Draco when he ran into Aurthur Weasley.  
  
"At least their father isn't on the run from the ministry Malfoy." Replied Ron.  
  
The day before Draco had stopped by to tell the others that he would be at Diagon Alley but his father would be with him under an invisibility spell. Lucius didn't want to use his cloak because it would give room for accidents to happen if the cloak came off.  
  
Lucius had told Draco that the only reason he was accompanying Draco was that there was a plan Voldemort had to carry out and this meant that Lucius had some errands to run while Draco went to shop for his school supplies.  
  
"Well well, if it isn't the boy who lived. Don't you have a family of your own? I'm sure ONE of your parents had relatives." Said Draco looking at Harry.  
  
"Again Draco, at least I don't have a father on the run from good Malfoy. Where's your 'family' now? All hiding from the ministry I suppose." Replied Harry  
  
Draco shot a look at Harry that could have killed him right there. "At least we will be on the winning side, you, you will not have very much life to live Potter."  
  
Draco walked off with a smirk on his face. He hated having to say those things to his new friends but his father was around, he felt it and he had to make it convincing to his father.  
  
That night Draco showed up at Grimmauld Place again and the others had a joke they had all planned to play on Draco.  
  
Draco apparated into Hermione's room once again. Before he could open his mouth he saw, "I'm sorry. You know I didn't mean any of it."  
  
None of them smiled, none of them even showed in the slightest way that they even cared to hear what he had to say.  
  
"My father was there, honest."  
  
None of them seemed to care. "Guys?"  
  
That was it. Ron couldn't take it anymore and he cracked up. Draco sounded so desperate that he thought Draco would start crying.  
  
Ginny elbowed Ron really hard in the stomach and Ron fell on the floor clutching his stomach in pain.  
  
"If it weren't for little snitch over here we couldn't have pulled it off too." Said George smiling like mad.  
  
"Waste of time huh?" said Fred glaring at Draco but before Draco could open his mouth in protest Fred broke out in a smile too. "Nah, I can't pretend anymore. Draco looks so desperate and being the Griffindor I am, I can't just let this go."  
  
Draco was still partially in shock he could not possibly be hearing this, but it was true "So it was a joke?"  
  
"Yes Draco, we were trying to fool you but Ron here ruined it all. Never trust Ron again." Said Hermione  
  
"Yes, I agree, those in favour of never letting Ron in on a secret plan again raise your hand!" said Harry. And practically everyone put up their hand except for Draco who was still in a bit of a shock. Even Ron put up his hand at that. This only made everyone laugh even harder.  
  
"Draco, don't look so worried. It wasn't for real. It was only a joke. We know you didn't really mean anything you said earlier." Said Hermione  
  
It wasn't until she placed her hand on his arm when he finally let out the breath he didn't know he had been holding.  
  
"Bloody Hell, that was the scariest thing that has ever happened to me. Don't any of you EVER try to play that kind of joke on me again!" exclaimed Draco with a red face.  
  
"Ha ha, Draco, I didn't know you cared." Said Fred sarcastically while bashing his eye's.  
  
"Oh God don't do that Fred. It makes me sick." Said Draco. It was a pretty scary sight to see Fred bashing his eye lashes.  
  
Fred made a face as if he took offence to Draco's remark. "Fine!" he said as he put his hands on his hips and turned the other way with his head held high. This only achieved more laughs from everyone, this time, even Draco joined in for the fun.  
  
"That was one scary fell of a thirty seconds there." said Draco finally as the laughter started dying down. "But I'm still sorry about the things I said. I swear I didn't mean any of it."  
  
"We know, we know Draco. All is forgiven." Said Harry  
  
Draco blushed again and thought to himself, how lucky was he to be able to have such great friends who forgave him and was able to carry out an intelligent conversation with him without thinking about food, although this may not have applied to Ron who was constantly thinking of food even after a full meal. 


End file.
